Healing A Broken Heart
by angel1002
Summary: I am FINALLY writing my take on what happened after the final episode of October Road. How did Eddie and Janet find their way back to each other? Better late then never. I hope you enjoy and feel free to leave a review with your thoughts.
1. Chapter 1

I own none of the characters of October Road

Eddie Latekka's alarm clock wasn't relenting. He continued to hit the snooze button but it continued to buzz every nine minutes so Eddie finally gave up, turned his alarm off, rolled over and placed his hand on the side of the bed that Janet had spent many nights in. It was cold and empty, like his life had become over the past month.

Everyday at one point during his morning routine his mind always drifted back to that fateful day, a month ago when his whole world crashed down around him, maybe it was because he spent his nights dreaming about his and Janet's relationship when it was still good. Since he woke up, he hadn't been able to stop thinking about her; probably since today was the sentencing hearing for Matt Lausch and his cronies for the beating he took. The whole time he was brushing his teeth, he couldn't take his eyes off of a perfume bottle she had left. After spitting out his mouthwash he picked up the perfume, inhaled deeply and his cruel words "The captain of the football team IS rejecting you," ran through his mind. No matter how hard he tried, he always went back to the cruel, hateful words he spoke to her and they haunted him.

* * *

Janet Meadows sat nervously in her jeep watching the dashboard clock. Knights Ridge was a small town and even though she and Eddie hadn't spoken one single word to each other she had heard through the grapevine that today was Matt Laush. David Gibbions and Mark Shipley's sentencing hearing for the assault and battery of Eddie and she wanted to be there, to see those men get what they deserved and she wanted to support Eddie, even from a silent distance. She was waiting until right before the hearing started before she went in so she could slip in the back, unseen by Eddie. She didn't want to risk upsetting him on an already upsetting day.

Since that fateful day when she was honest and told him how she betrayed him and he kicked her out of his hospital speaking those hateful words, the words that she deserved; "The captain of the football time IS rejecting you," she hadn't tried to contact him at all. She betrayed him and she deserved losing the best thing that had ever happened to her but there wasn't a day that went by that she didn't miss or ache for him. She assumed that the pain and ache would dull over time but so far it hadn't. In fact it seemed that every day that went by, it just got worse.

After two days of crying Janet pulled herself out of bed and returned to work. The second that she walked into Sully's she realized that she didn't want to work there anymore; first of all, Rooster wouldn't leave her alone. Every time she looked at him she was reminded of her betrayal and because no matter where she was in that bar, there was a memory of their relationship and she couldn't take both Rooster and her memories on a daily basis so if she had any hope of moving on, she had to make a change and two days later she took the first step in making that change. She gave Sully a two week notice so she could begin her new job a The Johnson Inn. She didn't give him a reason, she didn't tell him where she going. She didn't tell anyone where she was going. She simply wanted to start over without questions. After Allison Rowan's birthday barbeque fiasco when she was angry at him and basically didn't want him coming in to Sully's he told her that it was his bar and if she didn't like it, she could go work at The Johnson Inn and that's just what she did. She had hurt Eddie and one way she felt that she could make things better for him was by giving him his bar without her in it.

Two minutes before ten Janet slipped into courtroom and found a seat in the very back. From where she was sitting she had the perfect view of Eddie's back. She could tell just from his posture that he was tense and angry. She wished, more than anything that she could be next to him, holding his hand but now that was impossible. At ten o'clock exactly, the judge walked in and fifteen minutes later all three men were sentenced to one year in jail with five years probation thereafter with the main restriction being that they were not allowed near Eddie when they got out. Janet had hoped to slip out of the courtroom before Eddie could see her but he surprised her by leaving before the judge finished reprimanding the prisoners. By the time that she realized that he was leaving, there was no place that she could go. Right when he made it to the back of the courtroom their eyes met. Eddie's normally warm brown eyes were filled with anger and quite possibly hate as he glared at her. She rose to her feet, hoping for the chance to say something, anything, to him but he stormed past her and out of the courtroom. Obviously, Eddie was still furious with her, and in Janet's mind he had every right to be, but his unspoken hatred still stung and it took every ounce of will power that she had not to cry.

* * *

"Man, if looks could kill, Janet would be a goner right now." Nick commented once he and Eddie stepped out into the sunshine.

"Don't start Nicky." Eddie snapped.

"I'm sensing a major reason, other than the "it just didn't work out" line of crap that you fed us."

"It's really none of your business. Whatever happened between me and Janet is between us, not the entire town of Knights Ridge."

"What in the hell did she do? I haven't seen you this pissed off since you found out about Ikey…Oh my God." Nick thought he figured out what happened.

"Don't even go there." Even though he was furious and disgusted by what Janet had done, he still wanted to protect her. He didn't want anyone knowing what she did. He didn't want that hanging over her head.

"Did Janet…"

"Shut up Nick." Eddie started to walk away.

"All right Eddie. I won't say another word." Nick told his friend's back.

"I'll meet you at the office."

"I drove you here."

"I'll walk."

"Eddie I'm sorry." Nick shouted.

"It's all good." Eddie responded, lifting his hand and kind of waving Nick off.

Over the past month he had healed physically. His black eye was back to its normal color, the swelling had gone down, the stitches had come out and his ribs were better. They still hurt, especially if he moved too fast but his heart on the other hand it was far from healed. The first week after learning what she did to him, he was miserable. He alternated between extreme sadness and overwhelming anger but everyday those feelings lessened but not by much. He was now at the point where he only thought of Janet once, twice, three, sometimes four times a day and that was a vast improvement over the constant thoughts that invaded his mind. It had been a month since he had seen Janet and he thought that when they did see each other again it wouldn't hurt but he was wrong, very wrong. When he saw her sitting in the back of the courtroom his heart hurt all over again and he was angry.

Sometimes he knew that he shouldn't be as angry at her as he was and it wasn't like he and Janet were the only couple to ever go through infidelity. It seemed like everyday he was hearing about a famous person stepping out on their spouse; Owen's wife had an affair; Ikey had an affair with Owen's wife and now he had been on both sides of infidelity three times. The first time was with Rory. They agreed to a long-distance relationship when Rory went to college. He decided to surprise her one weekend and he showed up at her dorm unexpectedly but he was the one surprised when he walked in on her and Jake engaging in the horizontal mambo. He returned home broken hearted and ran into Hannah. For some reason, he has never been clear, Hannah was distraught, more so than normal, over Nick's departure. Together they drowned their sorrows with alcohol, one innocent touch led to a hug, to a kiss and finally they were having drunken sex in the back of Eddie's truck. In one day Eddie had been cheated on and slept with his best friend's girl, something he never forgave himself for. He really wanted to come clean with Nick, when he came back in town but Hannah begged him not to so he continued to carry around that guilt which may account for some of his anger her felt towards Janet , he was still angry at himself and he was taking that out on her.

He thought that it hurt when he found Rory with Jake but what he felt ten years ago was nothing compared to what he felt when Janet told him that she slept with Rooster. When he heard those words come out of Janet's mouth he felt like his heart was being cruelly ripped out of his chest. He had never felt such emotional pain before. He really cared for Janet, so much that it surprised him. He never cared for a woman like that before and now, when he reflected on their relationship he thought that he may have been in love with her but he never told her. Maybe if he had told her then none of this would have happened. He could now admit that maybe he played a small part, a very small part in what went down between him and Janet. He wasn't entirely honest with her that day. That didn't happen until the next day but it still in no way excuses what she did.

Eddie was concentrating so much on his thoughts that he wasn't paying attention to where he was going or who was walking around him because the next thing he knew he walked right into someone and that someone was Rooster, the last person he wanted to see.

"Hey Eddie." Rooster began nervously. "I'm sorry about what happened to you."

"Sorry that I got jumped or sorry that you slept with my girlfriend?" Eddie seethed.

"I'm sorry that you got jumped but now that you mention it, I am not sorry that I slept with Janet." Eddie clenched his fist, took a deep breath and then slowly relaxed his fist but not before he shoved Rooster against a wall.

"You are a real piece of shit Rooster. Do you know that?" Eddie's face was contorted in anger and Rooster shrank back from him, as far as he could considering that he was against a wall. "You're lucky as hell that I just came from a sentencing hearing for the assholes that jumped me. It's still pretty fresh in my mind what it's like to get the hell beat out of you and I have no desire to join Matt Lausch and his toadies in jail." Eddie slowly released Rooster. "Get out of my sight Rooster before I change my mind."

"She quit working at Sully's you know?" Rooster told Eddie as he walked away. Eddie froze and turned back around.

"When?"

"Two weeks ago."

"Where is she working now?"

"I don't know. She hasn't talked to me since that night but she wouldn't tell anyone that she still is speaking to where she is working."

"I just have one question for you Vincent. Why would you sleep with another guy's girlfriend?" Sure, he was the pot calling the kettle black but he didn't care.

"She didn't feel like she was the important thing in her boyfriend's life. She felt like everything and everyone was more important then she was so I showed her that she was the most important person in my life." Eddie didn't respond. He just turned and walked away from Rooster.

* * *

Janet curled up on her couch with a cup of coffee. She still had a few hours before she had to be a work so she had come home after leaving court. As soon as she saw Eddie's face she knew that she shouldn't have gone to court. He was so angry at her but she wanted to be there. She still felt so guilty that while she was having sex with Rooster Eddie was getting jumped. She can't quit reliving that fateful day when she ruined the best thing that had ever happened to her. Janet wished every day, that she could relive that day, make different choices, confront Eddie when he came to the bar about Rory's visit instead of holding it in and most importantly, she should have stopped when she saw Eddie and Rory kissing instead of driving home and calling Rooster.

Since she started working at The Johnson Inn, Janet has been pulling as many shifts as she could, not because she needed the money but because she hated being in her house. It was full of memories of the wonderful times that she and Eddie shared; the couch where they had sat for hours talking, watching a movie, or making out, the table where they shared meals together or played cards, little things like the dish Eddie kept his wallet and keys in, the coffee cup that he drank his coffee out of and the hardest thing was her bed where they had spent many nights together sleeping in each other's arms and make love in. For a week after she slept with Rooster, she couldn't sleep in that bed and she only returned to it once she bought a new comforter and sheets but even that didn't stop the memories. Every inch of her house had a memory of the wonderful relationship that she and Eddie shared and at times it was overwhelming. During the last four months of their relationship they spent most every night together at one of their houses. They had toothbrushes, razors, shaving cream and shampoo in each other's bathroom. She had gotten used to sleeping next to him, so comfortable and now it was all gone and she had never felt so lonely before.

As Janet sipped her coffee, she was overcome with memories, which is why she chose to work all of the time so she could avoid those memories. Right now, her mind was drifting back to an exceptionally sweet moment that occurred about a month before Rory came to town. Janet's jeep had broken down and was in the shop. Eddie followed her to the shop and then dropped her off for her late shift at Sully's. Eddie had a very early meeting the next day and since a late shift at Sully's usually meant that Janet wouldn't be out of work until 2:30 or 3AM she had every intention of taking a cab home but Eddie insisted on picking her up and she tried to convince him otherwise but he wouldn't have it. Eddie went home, got a few hours of sleep and returned at 1:30. The bar was slow and with Eddie's help they were home by 2:30. After making love they finally feel asleep about 4 and Eddie was up again by 6. He promised her that he would wake her before he left but she didn't waken until her alarm went off at 10. At first she upset that he didn't wake her to say goodbye but when she found the note next to the coffee pot she couldn't possibly be mad at that amazing man.

_Good Morning Beautiful._

_I hope you slept well last night. I know I did._

_I know that I promised you that I would wake you up and say goodbye_

_But you looked so peaceful that I just didn't have the heart to disturb you. _

_You didn't even flinch when I kissed your head. _

_It wasn't the same not hearing your voice this morning and I really, really, really missed my good morning, and my have a nice day at work kiss. My days now just don't seem complete without them._

_Call me when you wake up. _

_Have a wonderful day. _

_-Eddie_

Janet's tears flowed freely when she thought about all that she had lost. Six wonderful months they spent together and now, it was all gone simply because she didn't trust what he felt for her. He did everything he could to let her know that she was the woman he wanted to be with but there was a part of her that didn't believe that. She let her insecurities about her weight and the talk of the legendary Eddie Latekka, the talk that he would never change cloud her judgment and security and in the end, it ruined their relationship. If only she would have trusted his feelings for her. If only… She wondered if she would ever be able to mend Eddie Latekka's broken heart. She just wanted him to be happy again, even if it wasn't with her. He deserved that. She owed him that.


	2. Chapter 2

_**One month later**_

"_Good Morning Eddie. It's me. I just woke up, alone, and I got your note. I'm sorry that I didn't wake when you left, I must have been more tired then I thought. I didn't even hear your alarm go off. Thank you picking me up last night cause I know that you have got to be exhausted today because of that so thank you Eddie. You're the best. I work today from 12-8. You should stop by and I can feed you and give you those kisses that we missed this morning. I'll make it worth your while if you stop in. I hope you have a great day. Don't work too hard. I'll see you later. I…I can't wait to see you. Bye Eddie." _"Press 7 to delete this message. Press 4 to repeat this message. Press 9 to save this message." Eddie pressed 9 again. "This message will be saved for twenty-one days. Next saved message." The recorded voice continued.

"_Hey Eddie, it's me…uhh…Janet. Look, I know that you are mad as hell and you have every right to be but I really want to talk. Please, Eddie call me back and give me a chance to explain. I don't expect us to be what we once were but I hope that we can one day be civil to each other again. I miss you Eddie, so much and I am so very, very sorry. Please call me." _"Press 7 to delete this message. Press 4 to repeat this message. Press 9 to save this message." Eddie pressed 9 again and was told that this message would also be saved for twenty one days.

Eddie sighed as he ended the call. He couldn't understand why he was saving those two messages. He had no desire to talk to Janet but sometimes, he just needed to hear her voice. The first saved message, tugged at his heart strings, and made him ache for her but when he listened to the second saved message he became furious all over again. He didn't want to hear her pathetic excuses for why she slept with another man. Eddie looked up when the door to Best Friend Windows opened.

"Is Nick here?" Hannah Daniels asked.

"No. He's out."

"Good." Eddie knew that Hannah was there to plead her best friend's case.

"Look, I know why you are here but honestly, I don't want to hear what you have to say so please, just go." Eddie requested politely.

"You've got some nerve Eddie Latekka." Obviously Hannah wasn't going to leave like Eddie wanted.

"Mind your own damn business Hannah."

"What right do you have to be pissed at Janet?"

"Excuse me? I'm sorry but did you just ask me what right do I have to be pissed?"

"You heard me."

"My girlfriend slept with another guy and you're basically asking me why I am mad? Really Hannah?"

"Janet made a mistake so you should be mad but you should talk to her, give her a chance to explain things to you and maybe you guys can fix things."

"I don't want to hear her explanation. There is no acceptable reason for a girl to cheat on her boyfriend, no reason at all."

"But there is an acceptable reason to be the guy that sleeps with someone's girlfriend? Why is it okay that you sleep with me while Nick and I were still dating but it's not okay for Janet to make a mistake?" Eddie slammed his hands down on his desk and stood up.

"Did it ever creep into that little brain of yours that I hate myself for sleeping with you, my best friend's girl? Everyday that I look Nick in the face especially since Ikey and Owen, I am filled with so much guilt that I can't stand myself so maybe Janet's infidelity reminds me of what a horrible person I am so thanks for bringing it about again Hannah."

"It happened over ten years ago and it meant nothing to either of us. I know that you want to tell Nick but what in the hell is the point? Because you're so damn miserable you want everyone else to be?"

"I want to quit lying to my best friend. He deserves to know the truth."

"Truth. It's a funny thing isn't it? You're all about telling Nick the truth about something that happened a lifetime ago but have you thought about how Nick is going to react? Do you want him to forgive you or do you want him to treat you like you have been treating Janet with anger and hostility?" The only response Hannah got from Eddie was a slight flinch. "Janet didn't have to tell you what she did but she did. She was honest with you and you cruelly pushed her out of your life. Is that what you want Nick to do to you? Now the truth sucks when you're on the other end of it doesn't it?" Eddie knew Hannah had a point and he chose to ignore it.

"I'm supposed to take advice about truth from the woman who cheated on her boyfriend and won't cop to the truth; from the woman who won't tell Nick that he is Sam's father."

"Gavin Goddard is Sam's father."

"Quit lying Hannah. Everyone who has a brain knows that Nick is Sam's father. Sammy looks just like Nicky did when Nick was a kid. When I first found out that you were pregnant I thought that there was a chance that I could be Sam's father but when he was born all I saw was Nick, not me and not Gavin Goddard. You may think that you are fooling everyone but trust me, you're not." Now it was Hannah's turn to ignore a valid point.

"Why are you throwing away the best relationship that you have ever had without hearing her out?"

"My relationship with Janet is none of your business. It's between her and I. She shouldn't be sending you to plead her case."

"Number one, Janet doesn't know that I am here and secondly, she has been trying to plead her case but you won't give her a chance."

"We're done Hannah. Just go."

"Janet is one of kind. She is the best person that I know. She made a mistake but she owned up to it. That has got to count for something."

"Whoa. What the hell is going on in here?" Either Hannah or Eddie heard Nick enter the shop. "You two look like you are going to kill each other."

"Just having a discussion."

"Obviously, not a happy discussion."

"We were talking about Janet." Hannah informed Nick.

"Never a pleasant topic around here."

"Why is it that all anyone wants to talk about is me and Janet?" Eddie suddenly snapped. "What part of "I don't want to talk about Janet" is unclear to you two? Both of you, just butt the hell out and mind your own damn business." Eddie grabbed his keys and stormed out of his office and drove to Sully's for a well needed beer.

* * *

"My regular please." Eddie requested. Once he had his beer he made his way to a corner booth, away from everyone. Since he found out that Janet was no longer working at Sully's he returned to his bar but not as often as he used to for two main reasons. The first reason being that he couldn't stand the sight of Rooster and every time he walked in the bar he took the risk of running into that asshole. The two of them, in fact had crossed paths a few times but all Eddie had to do was glare at him and Rooster slinked away into the kitchen, where he belonged.

The second, most important reason that he didn't visit Sully's as much as he used to was because of Janet. She may not have worked there anymore but the bar was full of memories of her. He can see her twirling after he asked her out. He can still see the sparkle in her blue eyes after they shared their first kiss and he could still feel her lips on his when he kissed her on homecoming. During the six months that they dated, the couple had spent a lot of time at Sully's and now, wherever he looked, Eddie was reminded of his relationship with Janet.

For lack of anything better to do Eddie pulled out his cell phone and listened to his saved messages and when he heard the first message, the happy one, his thoughts drifted back to the day that she left his first saved voicemail and for a few minutes, he was happy again.

"_She's in the back." Karen said with a smile as soon as Eddie walked up to the bar. "She got inventory duty. Go on back." _

"_Thanks." Eddie came behind the bar and went into the storeroom. As quietly as he could he snuck inside the storeroom and found Janet intently counting beer. He walked up and placed his hands on her hips with a "Rahhhh." _

"_Son of a bitch." Janet squeaked. She jumped about a foot off the ground and spun around swinging, landing a solid punch in Eddie's gut. "Oh my God. Eddie, I'm so sorry." Eddie watched as Janet was trying desperately not to laugh. "Are you…okay?" She managed to get out while laughing. _

"_I'm…fine. You're not as strong as you think you are." _

"_Oh my God. You scared the hell out of me so you deserved to get punched." _

"_You left a message telling me that if I showed up, you would make it worth my while. So far I'll I got was a punch in the gut. I'm not seeing how it's worth it." _

"_I'm sorry that you think that stopping here has been a waste of your time. What can I do to convince you that you didn't waste your time?" _

"_A kiss would be a good start since it's after two and I have yet to kiss you." _

"_I think that a kiss can be arranged." Janet placed her clipboard on top of a case of beer, wrapped her arms around Eddie's neck, used her hand to push his head down to her level and finally, she pressed her lips to his. The kiss started off slow and sweet but quickly turned hot and heavy, with their tongues, fighting for dominance and they didn't break apart until they needed to breathe. "How's that?" Janet asked, gazing up at him with swollen lips. _

"_It's a hell of a good start." With a soft, tender smile, a smile that was only reserved for Janet, he lowered his face back down to hers and resumed kissing her but this time his lips didn't just stay on her lips, they traveled down her neck, causing Janet to moan softly. Eddie's hand had just slipped under Janet's shirt and his hand was drawing soft circles on the sensitive skin when the door to the store room opened, causing the couple to jump apart in surprise. _

"_Sorry Janet but we're getting slammed and I could use some help." Karen said. _

"_Of course. I'll be right out." As soon as the door shut Janet burst out laughing. _

"_You're embarrassed." Eddie accused and Janet's face turned even redder then it already was. "There is no reason to be embarrassed." _

"_I'm not embarrassed." _

"_You work the early shift tomorrow right? You get off at five?" Janet nodded. "How about I make a reservation and you and me go to that French restaurant that you have been wanting to try?" _

"_But you have no desire to go. You told me so." _

"_But you want to go. So what do you say?" _

"_I say hell yeah." Eddie loved how excited that she was. She wrapped her arms around Eddie and hugged him tightly and of course Eddie took advantage of the hug and stole another kiss. "I need to get back to work." Janet slipped out of his embrace and took his hand. "Come on, I'll fed you." _

"_Music to my ears." _

"Eddie. Eddie." He heard his name being called, he blinked, returning from his memory and saw an old friend standing at his table. "Is this seat taken?"

"Please. Have a seat." Eddie watched as she sat across from him. "So Rory, what are you doing back in town?"

"I've moved back."

"Really? Why?"

"I've got nothing left for me in New York. Knights Ridge is my home. It's where I grew up and where most of my good memories are at."

"Well welcome home."

"What's eating you? I saw you sitting here looking like a kid that just lost his puppy."

"I've just got stuff on my mind."

"Stuff like Janet?" Eddie looked up at Rory in surprise.

"How do you know about me and Janet?"

"Knights Ridge, the gossip capital of the east coast."

"God, sometimes I hate living in the gossip capital."

"From what I have heard you and Janet were big news when you were dating and you became even bigger news when the break up occurred."

"Great."

"Was Janet the woman you were dating when I was here?" Eddie nodded. "Was my visit, the kiss that we shared the reason that you two broke up?"

"No, it wasn't." He mumbled.

"You've never been a very good liar."

"Look I'm not really comfortable talking about me and Janet with you, my ex-girlfriend."

"I understand but I want you to know I'm sorry for any part that I played in the demise of your relationship."

"You didn't." Eddie stared at his un-touched beer. "Do you want to grab some dinner tonight and catch up?"

"Yes. I would like that."

"Great. I'll pick you up at 6:30 and we'll go The Johnson Inn, away from all of the gossip queens."

"Hey, men gossip just as much as much if not more."

"Yeah right." Eddie glanced at his watch and sighed. "I should get back to work if I have any hope of getting out of there on time." Rory quickly wrote her address down on a napkin and slid it across the table.

"Here is my address. I'll see you in a few hours."

"Looking forward to it." With a smile, Eddie slid out of the booth and for the first time in two months Eddie was looking forward to an evening out.

* * *

"So I went to talk to Eddie today." Hannah told her friend.

"You did what?" Janet gasped.

"I went and tried to reason with Eddie, tried to get him to talk to you but he was as stubborn as always."

"Why did you do that?" Janet asked as she searched for her work apron.

"You're my best friend and you're hurting. I wanted to try and make things better for you."

"And how did that work out for you?"

"Not so well. We only talked about you for a few minutes and then it escalated into an argument."

"What did you argue about?" Hannah was silent for a minute.

"It doesn't matter; just an ongoing disagreement."

"I wish that you wouldn't have done that. Now he probably thinks that I sent you to fight my fight."

"Yeah, he kinda of did."

"Great Hannah. Just great. Now if there was a chance of Eddie talking to me it's probably gone. Thanks a lot Hannah." Janet snapped.

"I told him that you did not send me."

"I appreciate that you are trying to help me but I would appreciate it even more if you would just stay out of what is left my relationship with Eddie."

"I'm sorry Janet. I just hate seeing you so sad all of the time. When you were with Eddie, I have never seen you happier and I just want you to be that happy again."

"I caused this and if it can be fixed, then it's something that I am going to have to fix myself and that's a big if." Janet shrugged into her coat. "I've got to go Hannah. I work till nine and I will call you when I get home."

The two friends parted ways in Janet's driveway and Janet made her way to work, with a stomach ache. She knew that Hannah meant well but in the end, Hannah probably made things worse. During the time that they dated Janet had realized that Eddie can be a very stubborn man and if and when he decided to talk to her it would be on his terms when he was ready and not a minute before. The fact that she called and left him a voice mail, two weeks ago, begging him to give her a chance to explain her actions and not hearing anything back, solidified her belief.

The first few hours of her shift were uneventful. Busy enough that she was able to keep her mind off of Eddie and their failed relationship but slow enough that it wasn't crazy. She found that she enjoyed witnessing. She did miss Sully's and the relaxed, fun atmosphere but The Johnson Inn, wasn't so bad. It was an environment for people who wanted a quiet place to enjoy a good meal. There seemed to be a lot of couples coming in and once, Janet even witnessed a proposal, which sent her to the bathroom in tears. She didn't look forward to going into work everyday, waiting on strangers but she didn't hate it either. She was a good waitress but she didn't want to spend the rest of her life being a waitress. For now, it was a means to an end. Over the past three weeks, Janet has been looking into taking classes at The Duf. She had no idea what kind of classes that she wanted to take so that's why she was class shopping.

"Hey Janet, I'm slammed. I've got a huge table that is keeping me jumping and Olivia just seated two more at table twelve. Can you take it for me?" Taylor asked her about seven that night.

"Sure. No problem."

"Thanks." Taylor smiled at Janet and returned to her table.

Table twelve was in the back of the dining room, tucked back into a corner, in the darkest part of the restaurant. This time of night, the waitress who was assigned to table twelve could never see her patrons until she was right at the table. "Good evening and welcome to The Johnson Inn." Janet said to her customers as she placed a bottle of wine and two glasses on their table. "I'm Janet and I'll be your…" Janet froze when she finally realized that her costumers were none other than Eddie and Rory. "I…I'm…sorry." Janet lifted her eyes towards Eddie's and saw that they were dark with anger. "I can get you another waitress if you want." She finally managed to get out.

"I think that would be a very good idea." Eddie practically growled.

"Would you like a glass of wine before I go?"

"Just go." Eddie snapped.

"Yes, of course. I'm sorry." Janet rushed away with tears in her eyes, something that Eddie didn't miss.

"I take it that you didn't know that your ex-girlfriend worked here." Rory commented as soon as Janet was out of earshot.

"I had no idea."

"Do you want to leave and go somewhere else?"

"No. I'm not leaving. It's a small town and I'm not leaving whenever I run into her." Eddie lifted up the wine bottle. "Now how about a glass of wine?"

"Sounds good." Rory saw Eddie's hand shaking as he poured the wine but she chose not comment on that.

The new waitress came and took their order but the dinner was already ruined, at least as far as Rory was concerned. Eddie became sullen, quiet and he just picked at his food. The only thing he really did was drink a large amount of wine while his eyes constantly followed Janet which drove Rory crazy.

"I'm ready to get out of here. What about you?" She asked him.

"Yeah. Sure." Ten minutes later they had their uneaten food in to-go containers and Eddie was waiting for the waitress to bring back his credit card.

"I'm going to the bathroom."

"Okay. I'll meet you at the door." Rory left the table and Eddie slowly made his way to the door. He was about five feet from the door when Janet crossed his path. For a minute that both just stood there and stared at other before Eddie spoke. "What in the hell are you doing here?"

"I work here."

"Yeah I got that when I saw the apron. Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why did you quit Sully's?"

"You once told me that Sully's was your bar and if I didn't like you coming in there then I should get a job at The Johnson Inn. You're right. Sully's is your bar and after what I did, the least I could do was give you your bar without me in it."

"Nice Janet. Real damn nice."

"What?"

"Making me feel guilty for quitting a job that you love."

"I'm not trying to make you feel guilty Eddie. You asked me a question and I answered it honestly." Janet answered and Eddie snorted.

"That would be a first."

"What in the hell is that supposed to mean? I NEVER lied to you. Not once, unlike you."

"What are you saying Janet?"

"I think you know exactly what I am saying. There was a liar in our relationship and it wasn't me. That day, you lied to me on numerous occasions."

"You lied too because you knew that I was lying and you never called me out on it."

"Of course I am totally at fault because The Great Eddie Latekka could never do anything wrong."

"Well maybe IF YOU…"

"Eddie are you ready?" Rory stepped up next up next to Eddie and placed her hand on his shoulder, in an attempt to calm him down.

"Almost. Can you give me a minute please?" Rory nodded and walked away.

"Well that didn't take long did it?" Janet seethed. "You said that you didn't sleep with her that night so if that's true how long did it take for you two to pick up where you left off? As soon as your ribs healed, did you jump back in the sack?"

"That's none of your damn business, not anymore." He had no intention of telling Janet that he had not slept with Rory.

"I should have known that you were just using me to warm your bed until your true love came back into your life."

"I'm done talking to you. I've got nothing else to say to you so quit calling me and quit having your friend fight your battle. Goodbye Janet." Eddie turned on his heel and stormed away from his ex-girlfriend.

As soon as Eddie and Rory were out of sight Janet rushed to the women's bathroom and into the first stall. She sat on the toilet, placed her head in her hands and sobbed. She had been waiting for weeks for an opportunity to talk to Eddie and tonight she had her chance and it went nothing like she planned. She said some horrible things that she didn't mean but seeing him with Rory, with the woman that he once loved and probably still loved, threw her for a loop. Sitting in the stall, sobbing, she realized that she probably ruined the only chance she had to make things right with the man she loved.

* * *

"I'm sorry Rory." Eddie mumbled as he made himself comfortable on Rory's couch.

"Don't be sorry."

"I just…it was hard seeing her."

"You really cared about her, didn't you?"

"I don't want to talk about Janet right now." Eddie scooted next to Rory. "In fact, I don't want to do any talking at all." Eddie leaned over, pressed his lips to Rory's and began to kiss her, softly at first but it quickly turned heated. Rory moaned against Eddie's lips as he gently pushed her back on the couch, never breaking the kiss. At the same time, the couple came to their senses and pulled away from each other.

"I can't." They both whispered breathlessly and then they both laughed.

"I just came out of a relationship and I'm not ready to start another, especially not as the rebound girl."

"I'm sorry." Eddie said again for the second time that night. "I shouldn't have kissed you."

"No you shouldn't have, especially if you're not over Janet. You're not over her yet are you?"

"No." He admitted. "I guess I'm not."

"You are very heartbroken over the breakup so obviously breaking up is not something that you wanted, right?' Eddie shook his head.

"No. I didn't want to break up with her but I had no choice."

"Eddie, what happened?"

"I really don't want to talk about it."

"Have you talked to anyone?"

"It's no one's business. No one needs to know what Janet did." Eddie whispered.

"That last statement tells me a lot. You're protecting her so that means two things. One is she did something, unthinkable that led you to end the relationship and secondly, you love her because that's the only reason you would protect Janet from anyone else finding out that she slept with someone else." Rory told him and Eddie looked up at her in surprise.

"How…?"

"I've only ever you seen you this broken once before and it was after you found me and Jake together. When I came home, the day after you caught me and Jake together, to try and talk to you, and you were in pretty bad shape, so I put two and two together I came to the conclusion that Janet cheated on you. Am I wrong?"

"No. You're not wrong." Eddie admitted as tears filled his eyes.

"Eddie I am so sorry that you are in this situation for a second time." For an unknown reason Eddie opened up to Rory about his what happened and the heartbreak he was suffering from.

A couple hours later, Eddie was mentally exhausted but he felt better even though Rory offered no advice. She just sat there quietly while he poured his broken heart out to her. He didn't need any advice, he just needed to take a load off and have someone listen and not judge and Rory was the perfect person to do that since she herself cheated on Eddie. By the time he was done pouring his heart out, he had drunk quite a few beers and coupled with the wine he guzzled at the restaurant he was in no condition to drive so Rory offered Eddie her couch, which he gratefully took and in the morning Rory walked her friend to his truck, where the two of them shared a hug and a whisper of "Thank you for listening and not judging." from Eddie.

It just so happened that same morning Janet was scheduled to work the morning shift and her normal route to work took her passed Rory's apartment, something she didn't know until she drove past and recognized Eddie's truck, parked outside and she recognized Rory and Eddie standing at the truck sharing an embrace. With tears streaming down her face, Janet managed to make it a few blocks before she pulled over and throw up.

_**Sorry for the delay in posting. Thanks so much for all of the reviews for the first chapter. I hope that this chapter was worth the wait. Let me know. **_


	3. Chapter 3

**I own none of the characters of October Road**

"Why aren't you ready? I told you that I would be here at seven." Hannah told her friend.

"And I told you that I wasn't in the mood." Janet grumbled.

"It's been three months, twelve Fridays that you have sat your ass home on the couch wearing sweat pants, Eddie's shirt, eating cheese puffs watching chick flicks. All you do is work, come home, plant your ass on the couch and be miserable. That's no life."

"I'm not complaining about my life. I'm fine with it so it shouldn't bother you." Janet snapped.

"You're not going to feel better until you start living again and right now, what you're doing, you're not living. Eddie is moving on with his life so it's time that you move on with yours." Hannah knew the comment about Eddie moving on with his life hurt her friend and she hated purposefully hurting her but she hoped that it was the kick in the ass that Janet needed to start living again.

Janet sat on the couch glaring at Hannah who just glared right back. Hannah cared too much for her friend to back down. Both women are very stubborn so it was now just a battle of wills of who was going to back down first and finally it was Janet. Grumbling under her breath, she got off the couch and went to get ready.

Two hours later Janet, Hannah and Pizza Girl were at a table in the back of Sully's enjoying a plate of cheese fries and a few beers and for the first time in months Janet was having fun or a resemblance of what used to be fun. She had to admit that Hannah was right about being out among people again and not waiting on them being the right thing to do. She actually felt normal again. Walking into Sully's was hard to do, memories of all of the good times she had there, before her romantic relationship with Eddie began and during. She really enjoyed working at Sully's. She had some of the best times of her adult life there. Many of old regular customers were there, sending their regrets that she was no longer their bartender and she missed them.

"Hey sweetheart." Sully greeted when Janet walked up to the bar. "What can I get you?"

"Our regular shots, six of them please."

"I miss having you here." Sully mumbled as he got her drinks ready.

"I miss being here."

"Then come back."

"I can't but I do appreciate the offer." Sully finished pouring her shots and Janet handed Sully her money. "No Janet. You don't pay for drinks."

"Sully."

"Enjoy." Janet took her drinks and returned to the table.

"To Girls Night." Hannah said lifting her shot glass.

"To Girls Night." Pizza girl and Janet raised their glasses, clinked them and downed their shots.

"Ahh." Janet breathed.

"Whew." Hannah said as the alcohol burned it's way down her throat.

"I'll second that." Pizza girl said with a cough. "Okay another toast." The girls raised the second round of shot glasses. "To good friends and good times." This time Hannah and Pizza Girl downed their drinks but Janet's glass remained halfway to her mouth.

"Janet why aren't you drinking?" Janet didn't respond so Hannah turned her head and saw that Janet was staring at Eddie who had just walked into Sully's with Nick, Ikey, who had been reunited with the group once he rescued Eddie from the beat down he was taking and last but not least the guys accompanied by a tall, lanky redhead who was draped all over Janet's ex-boyfriend.

"I'm leaving." Janet said softly. Hannah whipped her head back around to face her friend.

"No you're not."

"I…I can't stay here."

"Janet this is a small town and you can't run away every time Eddie walks into an establishment that you are in. You are entitled to have a life. He has a life so you should too dammit." Janet finally drank her shot. "I know that you want to patch things up with Eddie but I don't see that happening. He has apparently moved on and so should you. Eddie's not the only fish in the sea."

"He's the only fish that I want."

"You hooked him but you lost him so the only thing that you can do is cast your line back out in the water and maybe you'll catch him again or maybe you'll catch a bigger, better one."

"I don't think that they get much bigger then Eddie." Janet mumbled. Janet would have never made a comment about Eddie's penis sober so the two shots plus the beer that had consumed was getting to her. She was feeling the buzz.

"Janet." Hannah choked out.

"I can't believe that we are sitting here comparing men and love to fishing." Pizza Girl exclaimed. "What are we guys?" The girls burst out laughing.

"I need more alcohol." Janet announced, sliding out of the booth and swaying up to the bar.

"You ready for refills sweetheart?" Sully asked.

"More." Janet giggled. "Lots more."

"You got it." While Janet was waiting for Sully to pour their shots someone came up and stood beside her. Without looking she knew that it was Eddie next to her. She knew his scent anywhere.

"I thought that you said that Sully's was my bar." Eddie said in a low voice.

"I did." Janet answered, not turning to face him.

"Then what in the hell are you doing here?" Now Janet turned to him, her blue eyes flashing in anger.

"I am here as a customer, trying to have a nice night out with friends. This is the only bar in town and there is nowhere else I can go. This isn't just a one time thing. I will be here again and maybe next time you will be here as well so I suggest you get over Latekka."

"Oh look. Here comes your boyfriend." Eddie mumbled as Rooster came out of the back. Janet grabbed the drinks and stormed back to her table without dignifying Eddie's comment with a response.

An hour later Janet was three sheets to the wind. She lost count a long time ago of how many shots she was drinking. From her seat in the booth, she had the perfect view of Eddie and the trashy redhead and every time he touched her or she touched him, Janet took a shot and the alcohol helped numb the pain. While she was out on the dance floor Eddie couldn't keep his eyes off of her and whenever he wasn't looking at her, she was looking at him. After the current fast song was done playing a slow song took its place on the jukebox. Janet started to return to her seat but Jim, a guy that was dancing next to her pulled her into his arms for a slow dance.

In Jim's arms she sensed movement from another couple next to her and when she turned to look her heart broke once again when she saw Eddie and his redhead dancing next to them. She couldn't believe that he was dancing with her. He never danced with her. Janet had to squeeze her eyes shut to keep the tears that were filling her eyes from falling out. She wouldn't give Eddie the satisfaction of seeing her cry.

"_Why did you pick song?" Eddie asked his girlfriend as Journey's "Open Arms" came through the jukebox. Sully's had closed and it was just the two of them that remained. _

"_This is a great song." Janet walked over to him and took his hand in hers. _

"_This is a sappy song." _

"_Dance with me." She requested as she positioned her body in front of his and wrapping her arms around his neck. Eddie immediately wrapped his arms around her waist but he didn't move. _

"_I don't dance." He told her as he lowered his face to hers. _

"_Just one dance." She batted her eyes. "For me?" _

"_I don't dance." He repeated. _

"_But no one is here to see you. It's just me." _

"_I would do most anything for you but dance is one thing that I will never do." Janet dropped her eyes to the floor and Eddie immediately used his thumb to lift her face back up. "It's not you sweetheart. It's me. I just…I can't dance." He closed the distance between them and kissed her gently. As soon as he felt her relax in his arms, he increased the intensity of the kiss, he pulled one of his hands away from her waist, slid it up under her shirt until he was cupping a bra-covered breast in his hand, running his thumb over her hard nipple, causing her moan softly into his mouth. "Now isn't this better then dancing?" He asked when he finally broke the kiss but his hand continued to caress. _

"_Hmmm." Janet mumbled. Eddie gave her breast a squeeze and she arched up into his hand. "We need to get the hell out of here." She groaned. _

"_Let's go." _

"This is absolutely ridiculous." Nick commented as he sat next to Hannah.

"What is?"

"Those two." Nick motioned with his hand to the dance floor.

"Tell me about it. I have spent the entire night watching Janet watching Eddie."

"Same here. He hasn't been able to take his eyes off of her"

"What about his date? Hasn't she said anything?"

"She's not the brightest crayon in the box." Nick said with a laugh.

"It's obvious that he still wants her. He just needs to admit it to himself, talk to her and get on with it. Either work it out or don't but some sort of closure needs to be put on that relationship, for both of their sakes."

"Eddie will when he is ready. He is so damn stubborn which sometimes is a good thing but most of the time…not so much. He just needs time."

"Do you think he'll forgive her?"

"He forgave me. He forgave Ikey. Hell, he even forgave Rory so I think that he will forgive Janet but not before he is ready and we can't force him."

"Oh no." Hannah mumbled, watching the dance floor. The song had ended and Janet was making her way over to Eddie. "This cannot be good."

* * *

Meanwhile on the dance floor the slow song ended and Janet pulled away from Jim without thanking him for the dance and walked over to Eddie who was walking towards the bathroom. She was drunk and not thinking with her brain. She was thinking with her broken heart. Seeing Eddie dancing with someone else was just too much for her, especially in her drunken state. She reached out and grabbed his arm right before he walked into the men's room. "I thought that you didn't dance." Janet seethed.

"I guess that I just had to find the right girl to dance with." He snapped.

"You son of a bitch." Janet wanted to hold it together and be strong but she was unable to and her tears began to fall. "Were you ever honest with me? Was there ever a time in our relationship that you were honest with me because I was honest with you about everything, even in the very end I was honest with you."

"Well I'm sorry that I couldn't be as perfect as you were Janet…oh wait you weren't so damn perfect were you? You SLEPT with another guy while you were dating me." Before Janet could respond Hannah was by her side.

"Come on Janet. It's time to go home." Hannah gently began to pull her friend away.

"I loved you Eddie and you hurt me." Janet never would have admitted that in a sober state of mind.

"You have a real funny of treating someone you love."

"Let's go." Hannah had to get her friend away from Eddie before the situation got worse.

"I love you Eddie. I really loved you." Janet sobbed as Hannah led her away.

Eddie walked in the bathroom and threw some water on his face, hoping to hide the tears that had formed in his eyes. He stared at his reflection in the mirror and he didn't recognize the man who stared back at him. By nature, he was not a mean person but the things that came out of his mouth when he was around Janet, they were not only mean but they were downright cruel. He never wanted to be cruel to her. He never wanted to hurt her but he was still so angry and every time he saw her, the anger he felt came bubbling up to the surface and he wanted her to hurt just as much as he was. He knew his actions were childish and he knew he couldn't continue acting like a child. Even after what she did to him, he couldn't continue to hurt her. He still loved her.

To say he was shocked that Janet admitted that she loved him was an understatement. Sure, she was drunk, drunker then he had ever seen her but the theory is that people tend to be more honest when they are drunk because alcohol lowers inhibition and without inhibition people tend say what they are really feeling so Eddie believes that she loved him and probably still does love him and until he heard her speak the words, he didn't realize how badly he wanted to hear them. He was so conflicted. He didn't understand how he could be so mad at her and still love her at the same time.

Eddie finally walked out of the bathroom because he was getting weird looks from other patrons who thought it was odd that he was just standing at the sink, staring at his reflection and as he walked back towards his table and date there were two things that he knew for sure. One was that he needed to get of the bar and away from Angel. His plan for the evening was just to have a guys night with his friends. Angel was in the parking lot when Nick, Eddie, and Ikey arrived at the bar and she just attached herself to Eddie and he just went with it, his first mistake of the evening. At first it wasn't so bad, hanging with her but as the evening wore on she was driving her nuts simply because she wasn't Janet. A year ago, Angel would have been the kind of been the kind of woman that would have caught his eye but not anymore. He wondered if any woman would ever measure up to Janet.

The second and final thing he knew with absolute certainity was he couldn't continue to hurt Janet. Every time they saw each other he said some horrible things and he couldn't continue to do that. He was an adult and there were better ways to deal with his anger. He vowed that the next time he saw his ex-girlfriend he would be civil; no more mean or rude comments and maybe he will either be able to move on and find someone else to love or maybe he can find a way to forgive her. He hoped the latter would happen but he was unsure that it ever would.

* * *

It's been two weeks since her humiliating night at Sully's and Janet had not seen or heard from Eddie since. Janet had never blacked out from drinking before but after that night, she wished and prayed for a blackout but unfortunetly she remembered every minute of that night. She remembered the pain in her stomach when she saw Angel and Eddie walk into Sully's. She remembered how jealous she felt seeing Eddie and his latest trampy fling sitting, drinking and flirting together. She remembered the awful things that they said to each. She remembered how painful and hurtful it was to see him dancing with her but what is foremost in her mind was the fact that she told him she loved him. Before they broke up, she had wanted to tell him but he never told her that he loved her and she was terrified that if she told him how she felt. She assumed that those words would freak him out and lose him. Turns out she lost him anyways without ever telling him that she loved him. She saved that until after they were broken up when she was drunk. She was wondered everyday over the last two weeks if her life could get any worse.

She got her answer when she walked out of the employee break room after clocking in. She had just passed the managers office when Eddie and Nick walked out. Janet was surprised to see them there and she had no idea why he was there, in her boss's office. Maybe he was trying to get her fired. She glanced at Eddie and then quickly at the floor and passed by them without a word. She was embarrassed by her actions that night and wasn't ready to face him.

"Thank you for the opportunity Mr. Newman." Nick told the manager.

"I have heard wonderful things about the work you boys do so I am looking forward to working with you."

"We'll place the order today and we should have everything that we need within two weeks at the latest, depending on how fast the manufacturer moves things along. As soon as everything comes in we'll call and give you a days notice before we start." Eddie explained.

"We'll see you then." Eddie and Nick shook hands with the manager of The Johnson Inn, the man who just gave them a huge job.

"I need a minute. Can I meet you in the truck?" Eddie asked once the manager walked away.

"Take your time." Nick answered with a grin.

"It's not what you think."

"I don't think anything."

"Ain't that the truth?" Eddie quipped and with a grin he headed to the restaurant.

"Table for one?" The hostess asked.

"I'm not eating. I'm looking for someone." Eddie walked past the hostess and into the restaurant and he quickly found Janet filling the salt containers. He walked over to her and sensing his presence she looked up and sighed.

"I'm not really in the mood to fight Eddie so either leave or get a table."

"I don't want to fight either and that's why I am here." Janet gave him a questioning look. "Nick and I just landed an account here so I'm going to be working here for the next couple of months."

"Congratulations." She whispered.

"The one thing that we can say about our relationship is that we were never mean to each other and I would like for it to stop. Since I'm going to be around for the next couple of months I am going to make an effort to be civil to you and I'm asking you to do the same because I sure as hell don't want an uncomfortable working eniviroment."

"I don't want that either."

"Good. Bye Janet." He turned to leave.

"Eddie." He turned back around to face her. "Do you…"

"Do I what Janet?"

"Do you think that you will ever… will we ever talk about what happened, about what I did?"

"Maybe one day but I need time. I'm not ready."

"Well when you are ready know that I will be to." With a nod, Eddie left the restaurant and Janet felt a glimmer of hope that maybe one day they could at least be friends again.

**_Thank you all so much for your interest in this story and your reviews. You have no idea how much your reviews are appreciated. _**


	4. Chapter 4

**I own none of the characters of October Road**

Best Friend Windows did not get the windows from the manufacturer as soon as they had hoped because the windows were on backorder so they had to postpone the job for a month. During that month Eddie considered what he was going to say to Janet and how he was going to act around her. He told her that he didn't want to play any childish games anymore. He wanted to be an adult about this situation and most importantly he didn't want to be cruel to her anymore. He wanted to move on with his life and he figured that the only way he could move on with his life was to forgive Janet for her indiscretions and he knew he couldn't forgive her if he remained in the constant state of anger that he was in and to get away from all that anger he had to change his recent actions.

Meanwhile the month leading up to Best Friend Windows working at her place of employment seemed to drag on for Janet. Everyday she was full of nervous anxiety as she went to work, wondering if he would be there. Thankfully, work was crazy and kept her occupied. Knowing that being a waitress was not how she wanted to spend the rest of her life, Janet interviewed for a front desk clerk position that had opened up. The manager loved Janet; she was such a hard worker. In fact she had filled in at the front desk numerous times when someone had called off so it was a no brainer for the manager to give Janet the position but until he hired Janet's replacement, she had to work two jobs, something that she didn't mind doing simply because it kept her mind off of Eddie.

"Janet I just filled table 9." Alyssa, the hostess told her. Janet was in the kitchen checking on one of her orders.

"Thanks." The cook handed Janet her order. "And thank you." With a smile, Janet left the kitchen and delivered her customer's lunch. "Sorry about that. Can I get you anything else?"

"No thank you."

"I'll be back to check on you shortly." Janet then headed to table 9 and was surprised to see Eddie, Nick and Ikey sitting there. "Hi." She said softly and Ikey and Nick responded with their own "Hi." "Um…would you prefer another waitress?" Ikey and Nick looked at Eddie. It was up to him because they were fine with Janet waiting on them.

"No it's fine." Eddie answered after a minute.

"So what can I get you gentleman to drink?"

The guys placed their drink orders and food orders and Janet disappeared to the kitchen. "Well I guess the window replacement has started." Janet commented to Steven, the cook as she handed him Eddie, Ikey and Nick's lunch order.

"Yeah I heard that. How did you know?"

"The guys from Best Friend Windows are at my table."

"You know them?"

"I do."

"Can I ask you something?" Steven requested.

"Sure. What's up?"

"Would you be interested in going out with me? Dinner and a movie?" Steven was about five years older then she was and he was divorced. The two of them became friends when Janet started working there and Janet never had an inclination that Steven wanted anything more then friendship so this request for a date was a shock to her. "We get off at the same time today."

"I am flattered that you asked, but I'm sorry, I can't."

"What about tomorrow or the next day?"

"I just can't go out with you Steve. I recently just came out of a relationship and I'm not ready to date again."

"You don't know that you're not ready to date until you try."

"I'm not over my ex yet and it wouldn't be fair to you."

"I understand." Steven said softly and Janet placed her hand on his arm.

"I hope that we can still be friends."

"Yeah sure." Janet smiled and returned to the dining room to check on her costumers.

An hour later Eddie, Nick and Ikey finished their meal and were asking for the check. "There is no check. The manger said that as long as you guys are here working your food is on the house."

"Well I'm not one to argue with free food." Ikey announced.

"Of course you're not." Nick said.

"Do you guys need anything else?"

"No we're good." Ikey answered.

"Well have a nice day." Janet smiled softly at the men at the table, noticing that Eddie didn't meet her eyes. In fact the entire time she was waiting on his table, he didn't once meet her eyes and the only words he spoke to her was when he told her that they didn't need another waitress and when he gave her his order. Janet didn't know if his silence and lack of eye contact was a good sign or not. Maybe it was a good sign because the lack of eye contact meant no glares or dirty looks and the lack of words being spoken meant no insults or cruel, hurtful words so maybe it was a good thing. Fifteen minutes after the guys left, Janet went to grab some dishes off of their table and found an exceptionally large tip that was left for her which she was sure was courtesy of Eddie. Before they started dating he always left her insanely large tips; if he would buy a three dollar beer he would give her a ten and tell her to keep the seven dollars in change. He always made sure she was well compensated for her service and it looked like he hadn't changed.

* * *

"Can I help you?" Eddie had been browsing around the jewelry store for the past hour and he kept coming back to the section with the necklaces. "Is there something I can show you?"

"Can I see the third one from the right uhh…my right." The saleswoman reached in the case and pulled out the necklace and handed it to Eddie. It was a simple oval necklace with Janet's birthstone in the middle. It was totally Janet; simple yet elegant. "I'll take it."

"A wonderful choice. Is it a gift?" Eddie nodded. "Would you like me to wrap it for you?"

"Uhh…yeah. Thanks." Eddie pulled out his wallet and handed her his credit card. It was too late to change his mind.

Twenty minutes later Eddie was sitting in his truck staring at the wrapped box in his hands. Today was Janet's birthday and he had no idea what possessed him to buy her the necklace. Since yesterday all he could think about was her birthday. They started dating right after her birthday last year and he couldn't wait to celebrate her next birthday with her. He knew that he was going to make it a birthday that she would never forget and now, a year later he was sitting in his truck, alone staring at a gift that he would probably never give her.

Today was the last day at The Johnson Inn. He, Nick and Ikey had finished up the second largest job Best Friend Windows had ever had. Not only did they replace all of the windows but they also replaced the flooring as well and it took them four months. With only the three of them working it was a lot of hard work but the paycheck they got was well worth the exhaustion they all felt.

Those four months that he spent at The Johnson Inn he saw Janet most everyday. During the first month, he only spoke to her if necessary, giving her his food order or passing information about the job to her so she could pass it on to the manager when she was working at the front desk. Eventually he started greeting her with "Hi" Hello" or "Good morning" and he ended his days by telling her "Goodbye" but after a few weeks those simple greetings and one word goodbyes weren't enough and he started asking her about her day, he asked her why she was working at the front desk and once he knew about her knew job he began asking her about that and before he knew it he realized that he was looking forward to the conversations.

By working at The Johnson Inn and seeing Janet everyday, something shifted inside of Eddie and he has no idea when it happened. He was no longer angry with her. When he looked at her there was no more hatred. The only thing he felt when he looked at her was an overwhelming emptiness and he knew he was finally ready, after six plus months, to hear her side of the story. He was ready to learn why she turned to another man instead of talking to him.

Eddie knows that Janet hopes that when he hears her side that things between them may change or even go back to what they used to be but as he stared at the box in his hand he had no idea if dating her again was something that he wanted to pursue. Over the past months, he had tried to date again. He had been on numerous dates with numerous women but it never went beyond one date. Sure, he was attracted to the women he went out with on first glance but once they were alone, all attraction was gone. They were selfish, snotty, self-absorbed and they weren't Janet. He couldn't help but compare every woman to Janet and they never measured up to her. So that situation left him between a rock and a hard spot. How in the hell could he move on, find someone else when no one would ever be as good as Janet was? He finally put the necklace on the passenger seat, started his truck and made his way to The Johnson Inn, still having no idea if he was going to give her the necklace.

* * *

"I don't care. I have a conference room full of people without air conditioning and you said someone would be here in an hour and that was two hours ago." Janet seethed into the phone. "I suggest that you get someone here NOW or I will be filing a complaint with your corporate office." Janet listened to a few more excuses, repeated her threat and then hung up the phone with a sigh and then grabbed her radio. "Kevin can you check conference one and make sure that it's not a sauna and if they need get more fans in there."

"On my way." Kevin replied.

"Well at least some people know how to do their job." Janet mumbled under her breath. It had been a hell of day. The inn is booked for a conference and the air conditioning went out in their main conference room. They got their food delivery and all of their fruit and vegetables were spoiled and there was a water leak in the downstairs bathroom.

"Rough day?" Janet jumped at the sound of Eddie's voice.

"You have no idea." It was so nice actually talking to him again.

"You look flustered."

"That's an understatement." The radio crackled and Janet was being requested. "Nick is already here in the manager's office waiting for the walkthrough." She told him.

"Thanks. I'll see you." Janet was unable to respond because the radio called for her again.

"This is Janet." She barked into the radio because she was hoping that she and Eddie would be able to talk some more.

"Janet we need you to come to the kitchen." Alyssa said.

"What is it?"

"There is something that you need to see."

"I'll be right there." Making sure that there were no customers coming she quickly made her way into the kitchen. "Alyssa I'm…"

"SURPRISE!" Most of the staff was in the kitchen surrounding a birthday cake. "Happy Birthday." They all called and Janet was completely surprised.

"I…Wow…How did you know? I didn't tell anyone." She finally managed to get out.

"You can't keep anything hidden from us." Dale told her.

"I'm going to watch the desk so you can enjoy your party." Courtney told her.

"Thank you, everyone." Janet told them.

For the next hour Janet sat back in the kitchen with the people that she worked and enjoyed some birthday cake. When she woke up this morning, she didn't expect anything special for her birthday. She knew Hannah and her parents would call and wish her a happy birthday. Her parents will be sending her a card and gift. Her sister would call after her parents reminded her to do so and Hannah had already made plans for the two of them and Sam for a birthday dinner, same thing they do every year. She didn't expect anything from the people she worked with. The one person she really hoped would remember her birthday apparently hadn't because Eddie didn't mention her birthday at all when she saw him. When they were dating he used to joke around that he waited until after her birthday to ask her out because he was too cheap to buy a gift and then in the same breath he would promise her an amazing birthday and if they were still together, she knows he would have kept that promise.

Janet had been back at the front desk for two minutes when Eddie returned. Nick and Ikey sent her a wave as they walked out the door. "We're officially done here." Eddie told her.

"Congrats on a job well done. Mr. Newman has been raving about the work you guys did and he said that he is going to recommend your company to some other hotels and Inns that are in need of remodeling." Janet said and Eddie grinned proudly.

"Here are the three master keys that we were given. Mr. Newman said that there is something that I need to sign, to show that I turned them back in."

"I got that right here." Janet turned around and found the file that held the form that needed to be signed, well aware that he was watching her. "Here you go." Eddie read over the form, verifying that he was returning the three master keys that were checked out to his company and then signed his name. After Janet made sure that all of the information was there she then signed it as well. "I guess that this is it."

"Yeah I guess so. I'll see you." He said to her for the second time that day. Janet had to bite the inside of her lip to keep from crying.

"I'll see you." She said softly and then she turned away from him and tried to look like she was doing something important.

"Hey Janet?" She was surprised that he hadn't left yet.

"Yeah?" She answered not turning around

"Are you going to be really busy at Hannah's reception?" Janet froze. What on earth was he asking? She tried not to get her hopes up but as she turned around she felt her hopes rising.

"Um…not really. My main duties occur during the wedding. Besides giving a toast and helping her to the bathroom, my evening is pretty laid back."

"I'm ready to hear your side about what happened between us so after your toast and in between your bathroom duties how about we get a drink and talk?"

"Really?" She whispered, hardly believing what she was hearing. Eddie nodded. "Yeah that will be fine."

"Okay then."

"I'm surprised that you are going to the wedding." She commented, wanting to keep him in front of her for as long as possible.

"I'm not but I am going to the reception. I have never been one to pass up free booze."

"No you haven't." The stood for a minute, staring at each other, neither not sure of what to say.

"Well I gotta run." He finally said. "I'll see you in a couple of weeks."

"Thank you for giving me the chance to talk."

"You deserve to tell your side."

"Thank you." She whispered.

"Bye and oh yeah, Happy Birthday Janet. I hope it was wonderful for you." Before Janet could respond Eddie was gone and she was grinning like a fool. He remembered her birthday and he wished her a happy one. To anyone else, a simple birthday wish is no big deal, it's a common thing to say when you know it's someone's birthday but that simple birthday wish meant more to Janet then any gift.

Eddie walked out of The Johnson Inn with the gift wrapped necklace that was in his pocket felt like a brick. The whole time that he was in The Johnson Inn, going on their final walkthrough with the manager, he debated with himself on whether or not to give Janet the necklace he bought for her. He bought it for her and he wasn't going to anyone else but he couldn't make himself give it to her. He was afraid that she would think it meant more then what it was and honestly he didn't know what it meant. This necklace was the kind of gift that one gives his girlfriend and Janet was not his girlfriend. He didn't know what she was to him. He didn't know if she was an enemy, a friend or an acquaintance. He was so confused. The only thing he knew for sure was the face that he was looking forward to Hannah's wedding reception so he could see how beautiful he was sure that she would be and as much as it may hurt him, he needed to hear what she had to say.

* * *

It was finally here. After a very long month Hannah's wedding finally arrived. Thankfully Hannah had kept Janet very busy with last minute wedding details over the past two days so Janet was able to keep her mind off of her up coming conversation with Eddie. She has run through what she was going to say so many times in her mind that she had it memorized but she wondered that when she was actually sitting in front of Eddie would she actually be able to say what she needed to say. She had no idea what would come of this conversation. Would they start dating again or would he hate her even more then he did when they first broke up? She was terrified that the latter would happen and if it did, she wasn't sure she could handle it…again.

Things were going fine until Sam came into the room with his idea of a joke. After he told Hannah that Nick showed up with a super-model date which turned out to be Ikey. After Sam left something changed in Hannah. She started talking crazy, saying how she couldn't get married with a big secret. Janet tried to talk her down but it was no use. Hannah rushed out of the room, leaving Janet stunned. A minute later Ray came in, asking what was going on and Janet didn't have an answer and he too just ran out of the room., looking heartbroken Not knowing what else to do and not wanting to get in the middle of something big, Janet sat and waited, wondering what in the hell was going on. Thirty minutes later, a distraught Hannah returned to the room.

"Nick is Sam's father and the wedding is off. I need to talk to Sam." Hannah sniffed. "Can you let everyone know about the wedding? Tell them the reception is already paid for so they can have dinner on us."

"Absolutley. Is there anything else you need from me?"

"I may need you to calm me down later."

"You got it and Hannah, I'm sorry."

"The funny thing is Janet, I'm not so sure that I am." Hannah told her before leaving.

Now Janet had to go downstairs and stand in front of a group of people and tell them that the wedding that they planned on witnessing was no longer going to happen. She really hated standing up and speaking in front of big crowds. She had planned on having a few drinks of liquid courage in her before she had to make her toast. Sighing, she went to the front of the backyard and grabbed the microphone.

"Can I have everyone's attention please?" The backyard grew silent. "Due to some unforeseen circumstances the wedding today is cancelled." A groan went up. "Hannah and Ray apologize for any inconvience that this may have caused." Hannah didn't officially tell her that but Janet was sure that she would want her to apologize. "Please take your gifts with you and if you want you can head over to the City Center where the reception is taking place and enjoy a nice meal on Ray and Hannah."

Everyone slowly left with Janet answering any questions that she could. After an hour the yard was totally cleared out and with the help of Hannah's mother, they cleaned up what they could. Not sure what else she could do and figuring that Sam and Hannah needed some time alone she decided to head over to the City Center for the reception or now just a place where there was a free dinner and party. She really hoped that Eddie was still going to show and they could talk. Just as she got into her jeep her cell phone rang. She thought it was Eddie, maybe trying to figure out what was going on but she was surprised to see her mom's cell phone number flashing.

"Hey mom. You won't believe this but Hannah didn't marry Ray and Nick is Sam's father." Janet greeted.

"Sweetheart…" Janet's mother cried into the phone.

"Mom, what's wrong?"

"Dad…"

"What's wrong with dad?"

"My dad…gramps…he…died."

"What?"

"His…heart…" Tears began to fall from Janet's eyes. She adored her grandparents and she couldn't believe that her grandfather was gone.

"I'm going home to pack and I'll be on my way."

"Be careful."

"I will." Janet ended the call and calmed herself down. She knew she couldn't drive safely while she was upset. With a shaking hand and through her tears she managed to send two short text messages. One to Hannah, telling her what happened and one to Eddie.

_Something came up. Going out of town. _

_Maybe we can have that drink when I return._

_You may want to get a hold of Nick. _

_He could probably use a friend right now._

_

* * *

_

Two days later Eddie was sitting in his office when Nick walked in. It had been an emotional two days for his friend and Eddie had been there to support him. It came as no surprise to him that Nick was Sam's dad. He knew it all along. Nick was thrilled and angry at the same time and Eddie couldn't blame him. He would feel the same way if the situation was reversed.

Eddie hadn't heard a peep from Janet since he got the text message from her, telling him that she had to go out of town. He didn't realize how much he was really looking forward to seeing her until he couldn't see her. Her message so cryptic and he was worried about her. He drove past her house this morning and her jeep wasn't there so he drove past The Johnson Inn and she wasn't there either so he assumed that she was still gone and it bothered him that he didn't know where in the hell she was.

"What goes on? I thought you and Hannah were spending the morning together, sorting things out." Eddie commented as Nick took his seat behind his desk.

"We were but she went out of town but she left Sam with me."

"That's great man. You and Sam need to spend some time alone together."

"I think that it will be a good thing for the both of us and it also gives him a chance to get to know The Commander and Ronnie."

"I'm surprised that with this big upheaval in Hannah's life that she would take off suddenly. Where in the hell did she go? New York to tell Gavin Goddard the news?"

"Gavin knew all along. She went to Rhode Island. Janet's grandpa died and Hannah went to support her through the funeral. Calling hours are today and the funeral is tomorrow. Janet is devastated and Hannah wants to be there for her."

"Gramps died?" Eddie whispered.

"I forgot that you met him."

"Yeah. He is or was a really great guy." Eddie sat there for a minute, thinking about the weekend that he and Janet spent in Rhode Island with her Gram and Gramps. He really enjoyed himself and he knew how much her grandparents meant to Janet and he knew that she was probably heartbroken. It only took an instant before he knew what he had to do. "Since you are here I'm going to Rhode Island to pay my respects."

"Really? You're driving to a different state to pay your respects to a man you meant once?"

"He was a really great man."

"I'm sure he was." Nick stared at his friend, waiting for the truth.

"I want to be there for Janet."

"Good for you." Nick grinned at his friend as he walked out of Best Friends Windows. Things finally seemed to be looking up, for everyone.


	5. Chapter 5

**I own none of the characters of October Road**

"Grams, can I get you anything?" Janet asked. For the past three hours her grandfather's calling hours have been going on, the mourners have been non-stop and it finally seemed to be letting up during the last hour.

"I'm parched sweetheart. Can you get me some water?"

"Of course." Before Janet could walk away, her grandmother reached for and squeezed her granddaughter's hand.

"Thank you." The older woman had tears in her eyes.

"You're welcome Grams." Janet squeezed her grandmother's hand and then slowly walked away. There were more people waiting to give their condolences.

"Janet will you bring me back some water too?" Her sister Lillian asked. Janet bit her lip and nodded. Lillian was driving her crazy. When it came to Lillian everything was always about her, and their grandfather's funeral was no exception.

"Sure thing."

"Thanks." Waiting until her back was turned, Janet rolled her eyes and went in search of water. After grabbing two bottles, Janet stopped in one of the family rooms where Hannah was watching Janet's two out of control nephews.

"How's it going?" Janet asked her friend.

"Wow. That is all I can say." Timothy and Charlie were spoiled brats who got whatever they wanted by throwing a fit and Lillian and Jason, her husband, let them get away with it. During the calling hours, they were running around, yelling and knocking over chairs and even a couple of flower arrangements. When Hannah saw that Janet was about to lose her mind she stepped in and offered to watch the boys in one of the family rooms.

"I love my nephews but they are brats."

"How are you doing?" Hannah asked her.

"I'm hanging in there, making sure that Grams has everything that she needs. I have enough to keep my mind off of what is going on. I think that it will kick in tomorrow at the funeral that Gramps is really gone."

"I'll be there when it does kick in."

"Hannah, I'm not sure if I told you this but thank you for being here for me. I know you have so much going on at home and it means a lot to me that you are here to support me."

"You are my best friend. Of course I am going to support you, no matter what is going on in my life." Janet felt tears welling up in her eyes and she hugged her best friend tightly. "And besides." Hannah said when they ended their hug. "Right now it's probably a good thing that I'm not home. Ray, Nick and Sam are furious with me and I am sure there is a bull's-eye on my back and I don't blame them."

"Have you talked to Sam to find out how things are going with him and Nick?"

"Sam and I are sharing short and tense conversations and things seem to be going well."

"I'm sorry that things are so bad for you right now but I am glad that you were finally honest with Sam and Nick. They deserved to know the truth." Janet told her honestly.

"I deserve what I'm getting but you're right, they deserved to know the truth."

"I better get back out there before Lil loses her mind."

"You know where to find me if you need me."

"I do." With a smile Janet left her friend and returned to the main room of the funeral home. She gave her sister and grandmother their water and then was pulled away by her mother to meet some old friends. Ten minutes later Janet heard her grandmother calling for her so she politely excused herself and headed over to her grandmother but froze in her tracks when she saw Eddie Latekka standing next to her Grams. After blinking a couple of times, Janet finally convinced her feet to move.

"Janey, look who is here." Grams' eyes were shining with happiness.

"Hi Janey." Eddie said with a sparkle in his eye. Janey is the nickname that her grandparents gave her and when Eddie learned of it, he tormented her with it.

"Hi Eddie. Thank you for coming." He nodded and turned towards Grams.

"I am so sorry for your loss. Gramps was a really great guy." Grams and Gramps insisted that Eddie refer to them as Grams and Gramps.

"He really liked and respected you Eddie. He really enjoyed the weekend that you and Janey spent with us."

"I did too. It was a great weekend."

"Janey, take Eddie up to the casket and show him how good Gramps looks."

"Yes ma'am." Janet knew better then to argue with her Grams. Eddie bent down and hugged Edith.

"Again, I am so sorry." Edith kissed Eddie's cheek.

"I know and I appreciate it." Eddie took Janet's hand and they moved to the casket. Normally, Janet would have been thrilled by the hand to hand contact but right now, she was grieving too much to enjoy it.

"If you don't want to see him, you don't have to." Janet told him. She was giving him a chance to walk away.

"I would like to see him." Janet was so grateful that he uttered those words because she had been unable to actually walk up to the casket and see him. The thought of seeing her Gamps lifeless was a little too much for her so having the man she loved by her side gave her the strength she needed. They reached the casket and stood next to it, in silence for a few minutes before Eddie finally spoke. "He looks really good Janet."

"He does. The ring on his right hand, I got him that for Christmas with my first paycheck when I turned sixteen. He put it on that Christmas morning and never took it off. I was shopping and the instant I saw it, I knew he would love it." Janet felt a tear slip from her eye. "This suit, it's the same suit that he and Grams were married in. He wore this suit at mom, dad and Lillian's wedding. He told me…" Janet couldn't finish her thought.

"What did he tell you?" Eddie was curious.

"He told me, that he would one day wear it to my wedding but now, now it will never happen." She knew that even if she had Eddie hadn't broken up they wouldn't be married yet but it still hurt that Gramps would never see her walk down the aisle. Janet grabbed a tissue, wiped her eyes and blew her nose. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry. Your grandfather died and you are allowed to cry. No one will think any less of you for that. Let's take a look at the pictures" Janet nodded and they headed over to the poster board of pictures they had put together. "Hey, that's me." Eddie pointed to a picture of the four of them that was taken at the restaurant before they went to see "Bye Bye Birdie." that Grams insisted that it be added.

"That was one of Gramps favorite pictures and Grams wanted it up." Janet explained. She didn't want Eddie to think that it was her idea to put a picture up of them when they were dating.

"It's a good picture." He commented. He had the same picture tucked in a drawer. It used to sit on his desk at work and occasionally he pulls it out and looks at it. "Is that you?" Eddie pointed a little girl with dark curly hair in an old family photograph.

"Yep. That's me. How did you guess?"

"I would know you anywhere."

"Eddie I am so grateful that you are here but I need to know why. A few weeks ago you couldn't stand me and now you drive to another state to attend my grandfather's calling hours. Why?" She was so confused.

"I liked Gramps."

"You don't spend hours in a car because you like someone."

"When someone dies, everything else, good and bad should be put aside and what happened between us, it's not so important right now. Losing someone is hard at that person needs as much support as they get so that's why I am here; to offer you my support."

"I don't know what to say." Janet was blown away by his sensitivity but when they were together she saw his sensitive side; a side of himself that he never showed anyone else.

"The only thing you need to say is the time of the funeral tomorrow."

"You're coming to the funeral?"

"Do you really think that I drove all of this way just to come to calling hours?"

"I…you…"Janet sighed. "Eleven."

"I'll see you then."

"Thank you. Thank you for being here. I know that Grams really appreciated it. I appreciate it." Without thinking first, Janet impulsively wrapped her arms around Eddie's neck and hugged him tightly and he surprised her by returning her embrace.

"I am so very sorry Janet." He whispered when they both reluctantly ended the hug. A lump had developed in her throat and she found that she was unable to speak. She reached out, squeezed his hand, nodded and walked away before her tears fell.

An hour later Hannah and Janet walked into the hotel that they were staying in. "Are you in the mood for a drink?" Hannah asked after they parted ways with Lillian and her family.

"Are you really asking me that?" Janet asked with a grin.

"Let's go." The girls walked into the hotel bar and each of them ordered a beer. With drinks in hand they turned away from the bar to find a table and that's when they saw a figure waving at them. "Is that someone from the funeral home?" Hannah asked. The bar was dark and it was hard to make out individual features.

"I think that it's Eddie."

"You didn't tell me he was staying here." Janet had told her friend about Eddie's surprise appearance at the calling hours.

"I didn't know. I never asked him where he was staying."

"Come on." The two of them walked over and slid into the bench across from their friend.

"In all the bars in all the world or Rhode Island anyway, you walked into mine." He said with a horrible southern accent. Janet couldn't help but giggle. "What are you two doing here? Is this the only open bar around here?"

"This is our hotel." Hannah told him and Eddie grinned. He would chalk it up to good luck that he would end up staying in the same hotel as him but he knew why she chose this hotel. He chose this hotel for the same reason.

The three of them sat and shared small talk over some beers until Hannah's cell phone rang. Since it was Sam and the two of them really needed to talk, she said goodnight to her friends and went to the room she was sharing with Janet and left the two of them alone.

"It's kinda weird that we ended up at the same hotel huh?" Janet slowly commented because she just wasn't sure what else to say.

"It's not a small world Janet. This is the hotel that we stayed at when we came to see "Bye Bye Birdie." She gave him a small but sad smile. "How about a refill?" Her beer bottle was empty.

"I…uhhh...yeah…sure." With a smile, Eddie went to the bar. As he waited for the bartender, who wasn't nearly as good as Janet was, to get their drinks he turned around to look at Janet. She was sitting at the table, staring at the empty beer bottle in her hand as she peeled the label. He knew as he stood and watched her that he wanted Janet back in his life and not just as a friend. He knew they still needed to talk about what happened between them and they were going to have to build trust again but he was willing to do whatever it took because he was in love with her. Eddie grabbed the beers and returned to the table.

"Here you go." He slid the bottle over to her and gently took the empty bottle out of her hand.

"Usually I'm the one serving the beer and removing the empty bottles."

"Things change." He reached out and took one of her hands in his own.

"They sure do." Tears filled her eyes and she had to blink to keep them back. At that moment she was thinking about her grandfather.

"We never got the chance to talk, ya know with the wedding not happening and your grandfather. I would still very much like to have that conversation." Janet was silent for a minute before answering.

"I can't Eddie. Not right now." As much as she wanted to talk about what had happened between them she couldn't focus on anything but her grandfather.

"I get that. When you are ready I'll be waiting."

"There is something that I would like to talk about if you're willing to listen. I would like to talk about Gramps." Eddie smiled at her.

"Tell me all about Gramps."

For the next couple of hours and with lots of beers Janet talked about her beloved grandfather. She told Eddie about the weeks during the summers that she spent with her grandparents. She recalled the days that her and her grandfather spent on the lake fishing and Eddie got the biggest kick out of picturing Janet fishing. By the time midnight rolled around Janet was exhausted and buzzed from all of the beers she had drank. Eddie paid their bar tab and then he escorted Janet up to her room.

"How much do I owe you for the drinks?" She asked when they were standing in front of her room.

"Don't worry about it."

"Thank you for listening to me gab all night."

"It was my pleasure."

"It made me feel better."

"I'm glad. If you need anything tonight, no matter what time, call me."

"Thanks for the offer but I'll be fine."

"I'm sure you will be." Eddie leaned down and kissed her cheek. "Good night. I'll see you in the morning."

"Good night." Janet whispered. Knowing Eddie was watching her; she nervously slipped the card into the lock and slipped into the room.

* * *

At a quarter till eleven Eddie walked into the funeral home. To his surprise it was already pretty full and Janet and her family were already seated. There were a few people surrounding her family and he didn't want to go up and interrupt so he found a seat a few rows behind Janet. He noticed that seated in the front row was Janet's grandmother, her parents and her sister and husband. Janet and Hannah were directly behind them and Eddie found that it really irritated the hell out of him that Janet was sitting behind her family. He understood that there weren't enough chairs to accommodate all of them but he knew Lillian and he knew that she wasn't as devoted to their grandparents as Janet was. Lillian only ever saw them on holidays. Janet made it a point to visit them at least once a month and Eddie thought that Janet deserved to be sitting up front but he knew that Janet would rather sit behind her family then upset her grandmother by fighting for a seat. He desperately wanted her to know that he was there and a couple minutes before the service started she turned around, looked around the room, locked eyes with him and smiled when she saw him. She had to break their gaze when her nephews, who were sitting next to Hannah started to fight loudly. A woman who was at the end of the row moved her seat probably because she didn't want to be distracted during the service and after a look of apology to Janet, Hannah moved to sit between the two boys to keep them from fighting and Eddie saw his opening. He wasn't going to let those two hellions ruin this for Janet. He excused himself and went to the row where Janet was sitting.

"Can we make a deal?" Eddie asked Timmy, the oldest.

"What kind of deal?"

"If you sit here the whole time quietly when this is over I'll give you five dollars."

"Deal."

"Part of the deal is that I need you to move over one seat."

"Why?"

"Cause I wanna sit by your Aunt Janet."

"Fine." Timmy moved to the vacated seat.

"You are a genius." Hannah whispered and Eddie grinned. After making the same offer to Charlie they rearranged the seats once more and Hannah and Eddie ended up on each side of Janet.

The service was very hard on Janet. She didn't sob like her sister did; she just sat there, laid an encouraging hand on Grams' shoulder and clutched Eddie's hand with her other hand. Grams had asked Janet to give a eulogy and she could never deny Grams' anything so the woman who didn't like to speak in public stood in front of the room and gave one of the best, most touching, heartbreaking eulogies that Eddie had ever heard and he was so proud of her. He was sure that she wanted to cry while speaking of her beloved grandfather but she stayed strong, probably for her grandmother's sake.

After the service concluded everyone filed out of the room to give the family the chance to say goodbye. When Eddie started to follow the crowd Janet reached out and grabbed his hand. She wasn't sure if she had the right to ask but she did it anyway. "Stay?"

"I'm not going anywhere."

Surrounded by Eddie and Hannah, Janet slowly made her way up to the casket. The only other time she had been up to the casket was the day before with Eddie by her side. As soon as Grams' wrapped an arm around Janet and pulled Janet to the casket, Eddie stepped to the side to give them privacy and during their goodbyes that was when Eddie saw Janet's composure falter, but it was only for a few minutes. Janet quickly pulled herself together and ten minutes later they all filed out of the funeral home to go to the cemetery.

After the graveside service everyone gathered at the church that Janet's grandparents attended for a lunch. Eddie sat with Hannah and there was a spot for Janet but she never sat down. She spent the entire lunch running around, making sure everyone, especially her grandmother, had everything that they needed. Every so often Janet would manage to sit for about five minutes before she was called away. By the time the lunch was over, Janet had only eaten about half of her meal.

"Can I give you a hand?" Eddie asked coming up behind Janet who was taking dishes to the kitchen.

"I got it." There were still a quite a few dishes that needed to be taken back to the kitchen and Janet was so damn self-reliant. He followed her into the kitchen and he saw a massive dishwasher.

"I'll load the dishes."

"Eddie I…" He reached out and took the dishes out of her hand.

"Janet let me help. You've been doing this all on your own and its okay to ask for help so please, let me help you."

"Thank you." She whispered and quickly disappeared back out into the reception room.

Thirty minutes later everything was cleaned up and the only people that remained was Eddie, Janet and her family. Hannah had left an hour earlier because she had to return to work the next day and she had a long drive ahead of her. "Janet if you want that ride back to the hotel, we are leaving now. " Lillian said as she walked up to Eddie and Janet who had just come out of the kitchen.

"I need to say goodbye to Grams."

"Make it quick please. Jason and I need to get on the road."

"Janet, I can give you a ride back to the hotel." He had been hoping for some time alone with Janet before he returned home and now it looks like he is going to get his wish.

"Are you sure it's not too much trouble?"

"It's no trouble at all."

"So do you need a ride or not?" Lillian impatiently asked.

"Not." Eddie answered. "I'm giving her a ride."

"Okay then. Bye." Lillian turned and left and Eddie sighed.

"She drives me crazy." Eddie mumbled. Lillian was a year ahead of them in school and was just as selfish and annoying back then. Janet and Lillian were so different that it was hard to believe that they were sisters.

"You and me both." Janet responded with a grin. Turning towards her grandmother she saw that she was getting ready to leave. "I need to…" Janet motioned to Grams. "Do you mind?"

"Take your time." Janet walked over to her grandmother.

"I don't see Lil so let me guess, she is out in the car waiting not so patiently for you."

"She's gone. Eddie is taking me back to the hotel." Edith suddenly hugged her granddaughter tightly and of course Janet hugged her back.

"The one thing that Gramps wanted more than anything for you was to be happy."

"I am happy Grams."

"He wanted you to find true love and happiness."

"Grams…please."

"Eddie didn't come here for me. He didn't come here for grandpa. He came for you. That man came here for you."

"No Grams he didn't. He had no reason too."

"Gramps and I had never seen you happier then you were when you were with Eddie."

"I know that." Janet snapped. "Oh Grams I'm sorry."

"He's here to work things out with you sweetheart so fix things with him Janet."

"That's not why he is here."

"I can see it in his eyes."

"I can't fix what happened. After what I did…there is no coming back from that." Her grandparents were the only ones who knew the whole truth regarding her breakup with Eddie.

"You made a mistake honey."

"That was one hell of a mistake Grams."

"A mistake that I think he has forgiven." Janet shook her head. She wouldn't allow herself to get her hopes up; not again. "Just be open to the possibility, for you grandfather." This time Janet nodded. "Eddie can you come over here please?"

"Grams, what are you doing?" Janet whispered.

"Janet told me that you are taking her back to the hotel." Grams said when Eddie joined them.

"Yes ma'am."

"When are you going home?"

"Nothing is really set in stone."

"Well if you are here tomorrow I would like it if you would join Janet and I for brunch."

"I would like that." Grams yawned.

"It looks like I need a nap. Give me a hug you two." Eddie and Janet did as they were instructed.

"I love you Grams." Janet told her.

"I love you too my sweet girl."

"So how much longer are you staying?" Eddie asked as he drove back to the hotel.

"I have to leave tomorrow. I have to be back to work on Friday. They have been amazing. Between Hannah's wedding and Gramps' death I have had a week off."

"Do you like your job?"

"I really do now. I wasn't too keen on the waitressing. I am so tired of waiting on people but I love doing what I'm doing now. I love working the front desk and the manager wants me to go to manager training class so I can be the assistant manager."

"That's great Janet." He was back at the hotel and parked his truck.

"I have something in my room for you from Grams or Gramps. She wasn't sure if she would see you again and she wanted to make sure you got it so she gave it to me. Do you want it now or when I get home?

"How about now?" Janet nodded and they headed into the hotel and to her room with butterflies in their stomachs. When they got to her room, her hand was shaking so bad that she couldn't get the card in the key slot. "I got it." He took the key and unlocked the door. Janet went to her suitcase and dug through it until she found what she was looking for and she handed it to Eddie.

"Oh my God." Eddie whispered as he turned the authentic, autographed "Shoeless Joe Jackson" baseball card around in his hand. When they had come to town Eddie admired the card. In fact the two of them talked about it for hours and Eddie was entranced by it. "I can't take this."

"He wanted you to have it. He really liked you Eddie."

"I really liked him too." Janet went took off her coat and emptied the pockets. When she pulled out the funeral home announcement she opened it up and stared at his picture.

"I can't believe that I am never going to see or talk to him again." Her back was too him but he saw her wipe away her tears.

"Janet…" Eddie went over to her and pulled her to his chest.

"He's gone Eddie. Gramps is gone." Janet began to sob and she couldn't stop herself.

"Go ahead and let it out Janet." Eddie led the sobbing woman over to the bed and he continued to hold her as she cried. Since he arrived in town he hadn't seen her really cry so he assumed that this was the first time that she probably has let her grief out.

An hour later Janet's crying finally ceased and her breathing had evened out. Eddie knew she had fallen asleep so as carefully and gently as he could he laid her down on the bed and she never woke. She was exhausted. Even though he wasn't tired he climbed beside her and wrapped her tightly in his arms, listening to her breathe. Lying with Janet and holding her Eddie realized he wanted to spend every night like this. He didn't want to spend another night alone, without her.


	6. Chapter 6

**I own none of the characters of October Road**

From the second bed in the room Eddie saw that Janet was beginning to stir and he knew that she would be waking soon. He remembered from their nights that they had spent together that when she slept during the night she rarely moved. She only moved when her mind began to wake up. He had reluctantly moved to the other bed because as much as he was enjoying having Janet in his arms again he didn't want to confuse her or piss her off, both which were possibilities if she woke up in his arms. He just hoped that they could work things out and tonight and every night thereafter they could spend in each other's arms. Janet rolled over and opened her eyes and the look of shock that filled her blue eyes made him smile and he had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing.

"Hey sleeping beauty." Janet slowly sat up and rubbed her eyes.

"What time is it?" She asked her voice thick with sleep.

"A little after five. You have been out for a couple of hours."

"I'm sorry." She whispered.

"Don't be. You needed your rest. You've had a rough couple of days." Suddenly there was a knock on the door and Janet looked at Eddie in confusion as he climbed off of the bed. "Sorry I ordered a pizza. I was starving." As Eddie was paying the pizza guy Janet went to the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth. She looked in the mirror and just had to laugh at her reflection. She looked horrible. Her eyes were red and swollen and she had mascara that had run when she was crying and subsequently dried on her face. After washing her face, she felt physically better but mentally, not so much.

"Hungry?" Eddie asked when she came out of the bathroom.

"Not really." Since her grandfather's death, she has not had an appetite.

"You hardly ate any of your lunch. You really should eat." He patted the empty spot on the bed next to him. With a sigh Janet, went and sat next to her ex-boyfriend. Eddie turned up the game he was watching and handed her a slice of pizza out of the box and they settled against the headboard to watch the game. Out of the corner of his eye he saw her nibbling at the pizza. Without a word he handed her a can of soda and she smiled in thanks.

"Well there goes my bracket." Eddie mumbled at the end of the game.

"I take it you didn't want them to win."

"Hell no. Now I owe Nick twenty bucks."

"Eddie what are you doing here?" Janet suddenly blurted out. Ever since she woke up she had been pondering that very question in her mind.

"I'm watching the game." He knew what she was asking and he knew that wasn't the answer she wanted.

"Eddie I'm serious. You being here, holding me while I cried, it's confusing me and right now I'm in a fragile state of mind and I can't afford to be confused right now." Eddie slowly sat up, tossed the empty pizza box on the floor and took her hand.

"I'm here because I love you." Janet pulled her hand out of Eddie's.

"Stop it." She mumbled.

"Stop what? Stop telling the truth."

"It's not the truth. You hate me."

"I don't. I never did. I was mad as hell but I never hated you Janet. I love you." He took her hand and this time she let him hold it.

"You love me?" She asked him in disbelief.

"I do. I love you so much. I should have told you when we were dating and then maybe…"

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I was scared."

"You love me?" She still couldn't believe that after everything they had been through he loved her. With his free hand he cupped her cheek.

"I love you." He whispered softly. Janet sat there in utter shock as Eddie leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers.

It was wrong. Janet knew it was wrong as his hand caressed her cheek, his lips caressing her lips, his tongue caressing her tongue, it was so very wrong but she couldn't stop herself from responding. She had dreamed of kissing him for so long. She had missed his lips on hers so much that she kissed him back. She wrapped her arms around his neck, ran her fingers through his hair. It felt so perfect for both of them. It felt like they had never been apart.

Janet was so lost in the kiss that she didn't realize that he had unzipped her dress until she felt his hand on the bare skin on her back un-hooking her bra. She pulled away from the kiss in surprise. "Eddie."

"Shhh." He removed his own shirt and pulled Janet to her feet. Her unzipped dress fell to the floor. She was trying to make her brain connect with her mouth to tell him that shouldn't do what they were about to do but the instant his big, strong hands slipped her bra off of her shoulders the only thought that was running through her mind was she wanted his hands everywhere.

Eddie turned down the bed, took Janet's hand laid her down on the bed, stripped out of his pants and boxers and joined her. Very slowly and sensually he removed her thigh-high stockings kissing, down her legs as he exposed her skin. When his hands touched her underwear she instinctively lifted her butt and he pulled them off. Janet moaned when Eddie's tongue darted inside of her. "You taste so damn good. I've missed your taste Janet." He didn't give her a chance to respond. He dove back inside of her and pleasured her while he enjoyed his favorite snack.

After Janet screamed in pleasure without hesitating Eddie thrust himself inside of her. "Oh…Eddie." She moaned when he began to move inside of her. Eddie bent forward and attached his lips to Janet's perfect breasts and they both were in ecasty Janet loved to her have her breasts kissed, sucked and fondled during sex and Eddie always did a magnificent job. Janet pressed her hand to Eddie's head, encouraging him to continue although he didn't need any encouragement. Being inside of Janet while sucking, kissing and fondling her breasts, there was nothing he would rather be doing. Janet wrapped her legs around Eddie's lower back, pulling him deeper inside of her and together they move in tandem until their bodies were convulsing in orgasmic bliss. "I love you." Eddie panted once he got his breath back. He was still on top of her, still inside of her and he had no desire to move even though he knew his position wasn't comfortable for the woman underneath him. "I love you." He repeated just before he kissed her softly. When they broke the kiss, Eddie finally rolled off of Janet, pulling her to his chest at the same time.

"Eddie I…"

"You don't have to say anything Janet."

"I love you too."

* * *

Like most men, Eddie fell into a contended sleep while Janet remained awake, far from content. She managed to untangle herself from his arms without waking him. She found a pair of sweat pants and a tee-shirt and slipped them on and then sat at the small table that was in her room. The room was silent except for the snoring coming from Eddie and silence was just what she needed to clear her mind. The sex between her and Eddie had always been good, great in fact but tonight…the love they made tonight was better than it had ever been and that just confused her more than she already was.

He had finally agreed to give her the chance to tell her side of their breakup and of course life got in the way. Hannah's wedding didn't happen and then her grandfather died and Janet thought that she lost her only chance to make things right but he shocked the hell out of her by showing up for Gramps' funeral. His presence at the funeral was such a blessing and she honestly didn't know if she would have made it through it without him. Having Eddie by her side gave her a strength that she didn't know that she possessed.

Janet assumed that after the funeral Eddie would return to The Ridge but he stayed. He held her when she finally broke, he tucked her in when she fell asleep in his arms, and he made amazing love to her when she had woken up. Being back in his arms, having his lips back on her body, feeling him inside of her, she had dreamed about it for months and everything felt right again but it wasn't. It was wrong. The only thing that the two of them accomplished with their coupling was more confusion, at least on Janet's end.

When Janet woke up and saw Eddie sitting across from her she thought that they would finally talk about their relationship or more accurately the demise of their relationship but it didn't happen. There was talk but the words "Yesss," "Oh God," "So Good," "Harder," "Faster," and "I love you" weren't exactly words that resolved anything. It just made things more confusing. Finally after a year she finally told him that she loved him and he felt the same. She wanted to shed tears of joy when he uttered those three precious words, over and over again until she knew that he meant them. So now, she knew that they loved each other but she had no idea where they stood as a couple. Were they boyfriend and girlfriend? Were they casual lovers who hooked up when one or both of them were lonely? Were they friends with benefits or enemy's? She had no idea what they were but she vowed to herself that by the end of the night, before either of them left, she would know where they stood. She had to know what they meant to each other.

"What are you doing all the way over there?" Eddie asked from the bed when he woke up and realized that Janet was not next to him.

"We need to talk."

"We can talk right over here." He patted the spot on the bed that she had vacated and she was tempted to throw her clothes off and jump right in back into bed for round two but she had to stay strong.

"I would rather talk over here."

"All right." Janet watched as Eddie climbed out of bed and walked over to the chair across from her and sat his bare ass on it.

"With clothes Eddie." Was he trying to kill her?

"If you insist."

"I do." Janet watched longingly as Eddie went over and found his boxers. After slipping them over his amazing ass he looked at Janet and she motioned towards his pants. The more clothes between the two of them the better as far as she was concerned. Eddie grabbed his dress pants that he wore to the funeral and shook them out and that's when they both saw the wrapped box fall out of his pocket. Eddie put his pants on, picked up the box and walked over to Janet. Every day, he still carried the necklace he had bought her for her birthday and when he got dressed this morning he put it in his pocket, as he did most days with no definite thought on giving it to her but since it fell out of his pocket and she saw it his choice was made.

"Happy Birthday." He placed the wrapped box on the table in front of her and then leaned down and kissed her softly until they could no longer breathe. When Eddie pulled back he smiled at the woman in front of him but she couldn't see it. Her eyes remained closed, there was a small smile playing on her swollen lips and he had never seen anything so beautiful before. When Janet finally opened her eyes and saw Eddie staring at her, she quickly looked away and at the gift on the table.

"My birthday has come and gone."

"I know. I bought this for you the morning of your birthday and I have been carrying it around with me since then while I decided if I was going to give it to you."

"You bought this on my birthday?"

"I did."

"Why?"

"I don't know. I just couldn't stop thinking about you on your birthday. Open it."

"After we talk."

"Fine." Eddie sighed and returned to the chair across from her. "I know that you have been wanting to talk for months."

"Seven months." Janet mumbled.

"Seven months so the floor is all yours." Janet took a deep breath. This was the moment she had been waiting for.

"Well to begin, after what happened here tonight, what are we?" She did it. She opened a can of worms that couldn't be closed and she was going to have to deal with whatever the result, good or bad.

"I would like us to be us again."

"I would like that too but how can we be an us again when the first time we were an us it ended horribly wrong. We need to talk about what went wrong so it doesn't happen again."

"I know what wrong Janet. You slept with Rooster because you didn't trust me." He wasn't trying to be mean. He was being honest and even though he had forgiven her what she did still stung.

"You make it sound so simple but it's not. It wasn't just the fact that I saw you kissing Rory on your front porch that made me distrust you."

"Then tell me. What other factors played a role in your infidelity?"

"It goes back to the beginning." Janet took a deep breath. She was a nervous wreck but she knew she had to put it out there. "The first time you asked me out. You did it so casually that I didn't know if it was a real date or a couple of friends grabbing a bite to eat. When you took me to The Hideaway I thought that you were embarrassed to be seen in public with me but after eating the veal scampini I was convinced that you were being honest with me. It really was the best that I had ever eaten."

"Told you." After their first date at Hugo's they returned there often.

"Hannah told me that the way I know the result of our maybe date would be the kiss at the end of the night."

"Maybe date?"

"That what I called our date since I didn't know if it was a real date or not."

"And what type of kiss would tell you if it was date or not?"

"A kiss on the cheek or lips, then it was a real date. A kiss on the forehead then it wasn't a date."

"No offense to Hannah but her theory is wrong. Even though I kissed you on the forehead, to me it was a real date."

"See that was one of the biggest problems during our relationship."

"What? The fact that I kissed your head and not your lips?"

"No. The fact that I never really knew where I stood in your life. That was the biggest problem. You knew where I stood but you never let me know."

"I guess I just assumed that you knew."

"I didn't. At the pumpkin fest, we were joking about dinner in Colorado and you told me to make a reservation. I didn't know if you were kidding or not. "

"I wasn't kidding. "

"And then things just got worse when you invited me to Allison Rowan's birthday barbeque. I gave you the opportunity to back out. I told you that if you changed your mind I would be fine and I would have. If you would have called me an hour or even a half an hour before to cancel it wouldn't have been a problem for me but you didn't. You stood me up and that hurt me more than anything. I was left standing at the bar like the big dope that I was but that's what I got for believing you."

"I sat in my truck, in the parking lot for over an hour but I couldn't…"

"Why? Were you ashamed to be seen with me?"

"No. Of course not. I just…I really wanted to take you but I guess that I freaked out. I was scared of what our first public appearance together would mean to you, to me…to us and I wasn't ready to face that. It wasn't you Janet. It was me. I was a chicken shit. Please believe me."

"I do know but then I thought that you were embarrassed to be seen with me." She admitted softly.

"That wasn't it at all." He reassured her.

"Do you remember the night you asked me to the homecoming game?" Eddie nodded. "I thought that we were dating but I was never really sure. When I heard Owen telling you about the Lyon's twins and the possibility of a "double session" I was waiting for you to say something to him about us but you never did. You just laughed and do you know what that did to me?"

"I knew it bothered you and that's why I followed you."

"You told me that you should have told Owen that you were seeing someone and I thought that you really were seeing someone."

"I was. It was you."

"But I didn't know that."

"I'm sorry."

"You said that we should go to the game and just get it over with. I didn't think much of that comment but later that night I was talking to Rooster…"

"Rooster. Asshole." Eddie muttered.

"He told me that doing your taxes or going to the dentist was something that people just got over with. I knew what you meant by getting it over with, the questions and gossip and I agreed with you but he planted the seed. The next day I thought that he was being nice and he we walked through town, stopping at a few places but he wasn't being nice. He was trying to prove a point."

"What point Janet?"

"His point was no matter where I went in town, I was bound to run into one of your previous trysts and I was nothing like any of those women. I didn't buy it but that seed he had planted got watered that day. When you came in that night and the Lyons twins jumped you and I felt that I wasn't good enough for you. "

"You are good enough for me Janet. The fact that you are nothing like the women I normally date; that is what drew me to you."

"You told me that homecoming night."

"Did you believe me?"

"When you kissed me in the middle of the bar in front of everyone I did."

"So why did you continue to have doubts? I kissed you in a bar that was packed. It doesn't get anymore "I want a relationship with you" then that?"

"Sometimes I felt that I had to force you to do something "couplish."

"The double date with Hannah and Ray." Eddie mumbled.

"That's one example yes. I get that you don't like Ray and I got it then but what I didn't get was why you couldn't put aside that dislike for just one night, a few hours, so I could have the double date. Sure you FINALLY agreed to it but then you had to go and ruin it by socking Matt Lausch. Why?" Eddie sighed. He never wanted her to know the reason he hit Matt but apparently he was now going to have to tell her.

"I didn't set out to deck Lausch. He asked for it."

"So you said." She muttered.

"Dammit Janet, I hit the asshole because he was insulting you and no one gets away with insulting my girl and even though I know how pissed off you got about the whole situation, I would do it again."

"What did he say?"

"It doesn't really matter."

"Please. I want to know."

"He said that dating you was like eating pizza with a fork; people just don't do it unless they have to." Eddie saw hurt flash over her face. "That stupid comment hurt you and I didn't want to hurt you."

"You didn't hurt me. You didn't say it. You defended me and no one has ever done that before. I'm sorry I gave you such a hard time."

"You didn't know. I should have told you. Now, you said that the double date was one example. What's another example?" He really wanted to know so in the future he wouldn't screw up.

"The visit out here to see my grandparents. I don't think you got how important that they are to me and you are very important to me and I wanted them to know you and I wanted you to know them. When you refused to go, I was devastated."

"You're right Janet. I didn't realize how important it was to you and for that I'm sorry but for the record, I am really glad I changed my mind and got the chance to meet them. That weekend was one of the best of my life." When Janet smiled at him, he could see the tears shining in her eyes and he knew she was thinking of Gramps. When a tear slipped from her eye, he went and got a tissue and then wiped it from her cheek. They stared at each other for a minute before he kissed her again and this time Janet moaned softly into his mouth. It took a minute for Janet's brain to catch up with her beating heart and when it did she pushed him away.

"We're not done talking yet."

"I know." He made no effort to move away. She finally gave him a little shove. She couldn't think when he was that close to her. "Please continue." He told her when he returned to his chair.

"Now it's about sex." Eddie's eyes lit up and she grinned. "Or the lack of."

"Huh? Once we started, we went at it like bunnies."

"Yeah once we started but it was the starting that was the issue. Rumors in a small town are like wildfire. Once they start they spread and one of the most popular rumors was the length of time you were with a girl before you slept with her and the length of time was very, very short except when it came to me. With me, it seemed that you didn't want to sleep with me and I thought that you didn't want to see me naked and I was afraid that if you saw me naked, then you would run for the hills." Eddie reached across the table and took her hand.

"Sweetheart, that is the farthest thing from the truth. Before you, whenever I was with a girl as soon as I slept with her, I wanted out of the house and the relationship as soon as possible and I really liked you and that's why I didn't sleep with you right away. I didn't want out of the relationship. I wanted it to continue and I was afraid to risk screwing things up between us."

"I had never in my life ever made the first move when it comes to sex and but I did that with you because I was afraid that if we didn't then we never would and I would lose you."

"Yeah you made that point pretty clear." He said with a grin.

"I screwed up Eddie."

"What are you talking about?"

"Hannah and I were fighting and I needed advice. I needed to know how to proceed if you got the message so I went to Allison Rowan."

"That doesn't sound bad."

"That's not the bad part. Allison told me that whenever one of the kids is nervous about something she tells them to have a run through, a rehearsal so to speak."

"Tell me you didn't" Eddie was going to lose his mind if she slept with Rooster as a run through for the real thing.

"I took her literally and invited Rooster over." Janet saw that Eddie's fists were clenched and her bottom lip was quivering. "I wanted things to be perfect and I had everything planned out from the movie, to what I was going to say to, when and where I put my hand, when we would kiss and what I would say when it came time. " She sniffled to keep herself from crying. She had no intention at the beginning of this conversation to tell him about that night but since they were being honest, she couldn't keep it from him.

"And?" Eddie practically growled.

"And he kissed me. As soon as it happened I pushed him away and he left."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want you to kill him and it wasn't his fault. It was mine. I invited him over and it probably led him to believe that it was something more than a rehearsal for the real thing with you. I'm sorry Eddie. I shouldn't have done that."

"Why him Janet? Why do you always turn to Rooster?"

"He was my friend and I thought that's all we were but apparently he wanted more and I never knew. This probably makes no sense to you but when I was with Rooster, he made me feel that I was important, that I came first in his life and for awhile, that's how I felt with you but…"

"You were the most important person in my life and I'm sorry that I didn't make you feel like that."

"I'm sorry Eddie. I am so sorry that I turned to Rooster instead of you."

"It's in the past Janet."

"I should have trusted my instincts."

"So did the "seduce Eddie run through "work?"

"No. Of course it didn't. Especially when you hated my music."

"Come on Janet. Bay City Rollers? Really? You expected me to make love to you with that crap in the background?"

"I just always imagined making love to the man of my dreams to that song."

"My song choice was better."

"Yeah it definitely was. You would never have been able to do that strip tease to the first song. Even though that night didn't go according to my plan it all worked out. That night and every night after that was better than anything I could have planned."

"I'm glad."

"I'm so sorry. I ruined everything between us." The tears that she had been holding back finally began to fall. "I let other people's words eat away at me and I didn't trust what we had. I will never forgive myself for having terrible sex while you were getting the shit beat out of you."

"At least the sex was terrible. That helps a little." That comment made Janet smile. "So now I think that we have covered pretty much everything except for the day in question. Care to fill me in?"

Janet took a deep breath. "Everything had been so good between us. Falling asleep every night next to you and waking up next to you, it was everything that I wanted. For some reason, that morning, I was exceptionally happy to be with you. The day before when I was off work I made you your favorite peanut butter cookies and packed them in your lunch as a surprise for you."

"I know. I couldn't wait and I found them and had them ate before I got to work. They were delicious."

"I got to work that morning and I was happy. I felt nothing could go wrong and I was so very wrong. I was commenting on what a beautiful day it was and that's when Rooster told me that Rory was back in town. At first I didn't let it bother me because you two were in the past but all I kept hearing from Sully and Rooster was how happy the two of you were together, how much better business was for Sully when you two were together, how you would drive forty miles to get Stromboli for the two of you and how you never returned to Gumbo's once you two broke up. Every time I was around those two all I heard was how happy you two were, how she is your one true love and no one can compete with that relationship."

"Those two need to keep their damn mouths shut."

"When I called you she was there wasn't she?" He nodded. "I knew it. Deep down I knew it and it was confirmed when she showed up at the bar."

"Rory came to Sully's?"

"She did. She came in asking about you and she told me that she stopped in and saw you at your office. I asked her how that was and she told me that things were awkward at first but then it was like she never left. I felt a little nervous then but what she said next was the beginning of the end for me."

"What did she say?"

"She wanted to make sure everything was okay with you because she said that you looked sad. When she said that my heart just broke. I thought that you were happy with me and when were together you seemed like you were happy but apparently when you are around other people you come off as being sad."

"Janet you have to know that's not true."

"I don't know that. I don't know how you act when we aren't together."

"When I was with you, I had never been happier."

"Whenever I called you and you couldn't talk you always called me back and that day you didn't. You came to the bar and lied to my face. You never told me that she was there so by the time you left, I had no idea what in the hell was going on. I think at one point I assumed that you were pulling away from me so you could get back together with Rory. At the end of my shift I decided that I had to know what was going on. I had to know why you had lied to me and I had to where we stood so I decided to go over to your house and…"

"And that's when you saw Rory and I kissing."

"Exactly. Driving over to your house, I didn't know where we stood as a couple but the second I saw you and Rory…I knew or I thought I knew. I was convinced that we were over and you had her up in your bed by the time I got to the end of the road. I was so upset I don't even remember driving home. I'm surprised I got there in one piece. I needed a friend but I knew that Hannah was busy planning her engagement party and I couldn't pull her away so I called Rooster and told him to bring me some alcohol. I just wanted to drink enough to stop hurting."

"There isn't enough alcohol in the world to stop a broken heart from hurting."

"Now you tell me." Janet joked and turned serious again. She had to get this out before she lost her courage. "Rooster brought over moonshine and I swear it was 100 proof because after a few shots, I was drunker then hell and heartbroken. Never a good combination."

"Who made the first move? You or him?" Janet looked at the floor and Eddie had his answer. "Why Janet? Why?"

"I thought that I had just lost the man of my dreams. I was devastated and…"

"And what?"

"I asked him why he kissed me the night of my dry run and basically he told me that he kissed me because I had always made him feel front and center in my life and he wanted to make me feel the same way, something that I wasn't feeling with you. I was feeling very sorry for myself and at that point he said what I needed to hear, something until that very second I didn't realize that I had been waiting to hear from you." Janet wiped the tears from her eyes. "And that's it. That's how I ended up in bed with Rooster."

"You've told me how you felt during our relationship and what I got from this conversation is that you had a lot of insecurity when it came to you and me. Am I right?"

"You are and can you blame me? Girls like me don't end up with guys like you so how could it possibly work out?"

"Why didn't you talk to me about how you felt? Why didn't you stop that night when you saw me and Rory and stake your claim to me?"

"You would have liked that wouldn't you?"

"Hell yeah I would have." He grinned at her. "Seriously, why didn't you tell me how you felt?"

"I don't know. You were my first boyfriend Eddie. I had never been in a relationship before and obviously I screwed it up. I think that I thought if I brought up any of my concerns then you would think that I was being too needy or clingy and I would lose you and I didn't want to lose the best thing that had ever happened to me."

"Besides Rory, I hadn't had another relationship. When Rory and I dated, it was back in high school and high school relationships are so much different then grown up relationships so in a way our relationship was a first for me too and I was by no means perfect either. I screwed up. I started screwing up from our first date to the last day we were together, especially the last day. I should have told you Rory was back. I should have told Rory that you and I were dating when she asked if I was seeing someone. I should have sent her away when she showed up at my house with the Stromboli and I sure as hell shouldn't have kissed her. I should have pushed her away the second our lips touched but like I told you in the hospital I knew the second that we kissed that she wasn't the one that I wanted to be kissing. It was you Janet. It's always been you."

"So apparently we both suck at adult relationships but if you're willing that is something that I would like to work on." She said shyly.

"We really do suck bad at relationships but I'm willing to work at it. We're going to have to always be honest with each other."

"I know and I will."

"And since we're being honest with each other there is something that I want to tell you."

"I already know."

"You do? Did Hannah tell you?"

"No. I saw you."

"Huh?"

"I know you and Rory slept together. I saw you the two of you outside of her apartment the morning after you two came to The Johnson Inn." Eddie knew exactly what day she was talking about.

"This is the second time that you made an assumption about me and Rory that is not true and that's got to change. If you have a question about something that you saw or heard then ask it. Don't assume. We've learned the hard way what assuming does."

"You're right."

"You saw me hugging a friend goodbye. I was really torn up after seeing you and I went back to Rory's house, had quite a few beers and was in no condition to drive so Rory let me crash on her couch and when I left the next morning I hugged her goodbye. That was it. Nothing happened."

"You don't owe me any explanation. We weren't together then."

"I know I don't but I want you to know that there has been no one else since you."

"It would have been fine since we weren't dating."

"I know but I wanted you to know. There was no way I couldn't sleep with anyone else because I couldn't get you out of my mind."

"There wasn't anyone else for me either."

"Anyways, what I want to tell you is something that I have never told anyone but I want to be honest with you."

"Okay."

"I slept with Hannah."

"Umm okay." She wasn't sure what she should say.

"She's your best friend and I don't think that she would ever tell you but in case she did, I wanted you to have heard it from me."

"Why wouldn't Hannah ever tell me? She knows that I don't care about who you slept with before we were together."

"Probably because she was dating Nick when it happened."

"Excuse me? Hannah cheated on Nick with you?"

"I had just found Rory with Jake and my heart was broken so I drove to the lake with alcohol. I found Hannah there and she was distraught over Nick probably because she hadn't heard from him. I shared my alcohol and one thing led to another and we slept together."

"Are you kidding me?" Janet stood and walked away from the table and Eddie knew she was pissed which surprised him. He didn't expect that reaction from her.

"How can you be mad that I slept with Hannah when you just said that you don't care who I slept with before we were together?"

"I'm not mad that you slept with Hannah."

"You're mad about something."

"Let me get this straight. You found Rory and Jake together. Your heart was broken; you got drunk and slept with Hannah. Am I correct?"

"Yeah." As soon as the word was out of his mouth he knew what she was getting out but it was too late. "I know what you're thinking."

"I don't so." She turned to him and her blue eyes were flashing in anger. "What I am thinking is that you did the exact same thing that I did for the same reason and you had the balls to be mad at me?" She was furious and he really couldn't blame her. She was exactly right.

"I'm sorry Janet."

"You're sorry? I was sorry for SEVEN long months. You should have been angry because I slept with another man but what you put me through; the mean, hateful words…How could you Eddie? How could you put me through hell when you did the exact same thing to your best friend? Why is it okay for you to sleep with Nick's girl but it's a sin punishable by death when I did it?"

"It's not okay that I slept with Hannah. It's not okay at all." He shouted. "I have been living with that guilt for over ten damned years. Every time I see Nick, I feel guilty so it's most definitely not okay." Janet tossed Eddie his shirt.

"Get out."

"Come on Janet. Let's talk about this. Let's work it out."

"How can we work it out? How can I be with someone who has one standard where he is concerned and one standard when it's about me? The answer is I can't." She grabbed his shoes, opened the door and tossed them out in the hall. "Get out. I don't even want to look at you. You make me sick."

"Janet…please."

"GET OUT." She screamed and Eddie knew that there was no reasoning with her right now. He slipped his shirt, grabbed his socks and wallet.

"I'm giving up. We can fix us." He told her when he got to the door.

"Go." She wouldn't look into his eyes.

"I'm sorry and I love you. Don't forget that."

As soon as he was out of the room and the door was shut Janet burst into tears and threw herself onto her bed. She was so angry at him. It wasn't fair. How dare he treat her the way he did when he did the exact same thing as she did. Like she told him, he should have been angry; she deserved his anger but his actions after his initial reaction towards her were ridiculous. He was so cruel. At least she had the guts to be honest with him. He couldn't say the same. Nick had no clue what had happened. He loves her; she loves him but was that enough? At that moment she had no idea.

_**The best part of writing this chapter was the research that I had to do to make sure I got everything right and when I say research I mean watching episodes of OR except for the last two heartbreaking episodes. That was no fun. Thanks for your continued support of this story. **_


	7. Chapter 7

**I own none of the characters of October Road**

"Hi Grams." Janet greeted as she walked into her grandmother's room at the nursing home.

"Hi Janey." Grams lifted her head for the kiss that Janet was giving her. "Where's Eddie?" She asked peering around her granddaughter.

"I don't want to talk about it." Janet mumbled.

"Was it that bad?"

"Grams…please. Can we just go?"

"I'll drop it for now." Janet knew what that meant. By the end of the visit, she would have to spill the details of last night. Grams stood and linked her arm with her granddaughters. "Come on. Sign me out and feed me. I am starving." Despite her misery, Janet managed to smile.

Janet signed out her grandmother out of the nursing home and then the two of them went to a restaurant that was a favorite of her grandfathers'. There were a lot of Edith's friends at the restaurant so Janet was able to avoid discussing Eddie since Edith spent most of the meal chatting. After they left the restaurant Edith suggested a walk at a local park and Janet could never say no to her grandmother.

"Have you thought anymore about coming to the Ridge to live?" Janet asked about ten minutes into their walk. Her whole family has been trying to convince Edith to come home with them to live now.

"I'm staying here sweetheart."

"You can live with me Grams."

"Oh Janey, you have no idea what that offer means to me but you are a young woman who doesn't need her grandmother cramping her style."

"Grams!"

"What?" Janet shook her head. "Just think about. You will be able to see mom, dad, Lillian and the kids all the time."

"Pffft. I love my great grandsons but those boys are heathens and I can handle not seeing them all of the time. " The smile on her grandmother's face let Janet know that she was kidding.

"Gramps is gone and you're alone. I don't want you to be alone."

"My sweet girl, I am not alone. In fact I believe that if I move in with you then I will be more alone. You, your parents, your sister, everyone works so during the day, I will be alone. Here, I have friends who have the same schedule as I do. I always have someone or many someones to talk to and there is always some type of social activity going on at the nursing home. "

"There is a senior center in The Ridge. We can find social events for you."

"If I move to The Ridge, I will be away from Gramps and I can't leave him." Leaving her grandfather, Janet knew that was the real reason that her Grams didn't want to leave Rhode Island.

"Well if you ever change your mind and decide that you want to come to The Ridge to take care of me I will bring you to Gramps' grave anytime you want." Edith was like Janet, she loved taking of everyone else.

"I know you would sweetheart but I'm happy here and besides I believe that there is a man who wants to take care of you. Come on, let's sit and give these old bones a rest." They had come upon a bench at the park so the two of them parked themselves on it. "So spill my sweet girl. What happened between you and Eddie last night?"

"Oh Grams, I'm so confused." Tears filled Janet's eyes.

"Tell your Grams." Edith reached into her purse and handed Janet a couple of tissues. She had a feeling they would be needed. "Just start at the beginning."

"After we left the church Eddie took me back to the hotel. I had the baseball card to give him from Gramps so I invited him to my room. After I gave him the card, I kinda lost it. It finally kicked in that Gramps was really gone and I started balling. Eddie held me in his arms until I cried myself to sleep." Janet took a break to wipe the few tears that had fallen. "When I woke up I was lying on the bed so he must have laid me down and he was chilling out in the bed next to me. He had gotten hungry and ordered a pizza and he made me come and sit next to him."

"Made you?"

"Okay, he didn't force me but he made it really hard to say no."

"Why did you want to say no?"

"I was confused. A few months ago he hated me and then he shows up, out of the blue and he's acting all wonderful so finally after I forced down a couple pieces of pizza, I asked him why he was there."

"And what did he say?"

"He was there because he loved me."

"He told you he loved you. " Edith grinned. "I knew it."

"I didn't believe it but he kept telling me."

"Do you believe him now?"

"Yeah. I do."

"Does Eddie know how you feel about him?"

"Yes he does."

"That is wonderful."

"Yeah. It is." A small smile found its way to Janet's face.

"So..?"

"He kissed me and it was really nice but we still hadn't worked out our problems so it was wrong but I missed him and his kisses so much that I let him continue to kiss me and then one kiss led to another and then another and we ended up making love and it was amazing." Janet was closer to her grandparents and she shared most everything with them. "Of course he conked out right after wards but not me. I was so confused. I had no idea what we were to each so I decided that we were going to figure what we were when he woke up."

"And did you?"

"I did but he made it very hard. He wanted to talk on the bed, and then he tried to have the conversation naked which tempted me. I really, really, really wanted to jump back in that bed for another go round but I stayed strong and we finally got everything out in the open. Grams, I was so scared but I did it. I told him how I felt during our relationship, from the uncertainty, the insecurity, to the circumstances that led me to sleep with Rooster. I laid it all out there."

"Janet I am so proud of you." When Janet and Eddie began dating, Edith and Henry were so happy for their granddaughter because they had never seen Janet so happy and her happiness was all that mattered to them but over time, Edith became concerned about the relationship. She knew Janet wasn't confident about where she stood in Eddie's life and that was never a good thing. Edith encouraged Janet to talk to Eddie about how she was feeling but obviously she never did, at least not until now. "Was he angry?"

"Surprisingly he wasn't."

"You were just telling him how he felt and if he truly loves you, which I believe he does, then he has no reason to be angry with you for sharing your feelings."

"He understood. He did ask me why I didn't tell him sooner and I admitted that I was afraid that if I did, I would lose him which I now realize wouldn't have been the case. We both realize that we suck at relationships."

"But you can eventually not suck if you both work at your relationship." Janet grinned. It was too funny to hear her grandmother use the term "suck."

"That's what we agreed to. We both want to try not to suck."

"So what else happened? According to what you have told me, you should be very happy but you're not so I know something else must have happened. "

"Eddie decided that he needed to be completely honest with me." Janet said somewhat bitterly.

"Uh…oh." Edith mumbled. "What did he come clean about?"

"He slept with Hannah."

"Your best friend Hannah?" Janet nodded. "Oh sweetheart, I'm sorry."

"I'm not angry about that. It happened years ago."

"Janey honey, you are confusing me."

"It's the circumstances that pissed me off. He just had his heart broken. He was upset, bought some alcohol, went to the park and ran into Hannah who was still dating Nick and he technically was still dating Rory. The two of them got drunk and slept together."

"I see."

"Grams he did the exact same thing that I did and that's what pisses me off. I slept with Rooster while I was dating Eddie and he had every right to be angry. If he wasn't mad then I would worry but he put me through seven months of hell. He was mean, hurtful and cruel and he had no right to be. He's a damn hypocrite." Janet explained through gritted teeth.

"Did you confront him? Did you two talk about it?"

"I confronted him and then I kicked him out of my room."

"Why did you do that?"

"Because I was mad. No wait, I was furious and I didn't want to talk. I didn't even want to look at him."

"So what are you going to do Janey?"

"I don't know Grams. I was hoping that you would tell me."

"I wish I could tell you but I can't. You're going to have to figure this out for yourself."

"I don't know what to do Grams."

"Trust your heart Janet. Your heart will never steer you wrong."

"My heart is conflicted right now. I love him Grams, so much but at the same time I am so pissed off at him. How is that possible?"

"Do you know how many times your grandfather made me so angry that I couldn't see straight? There were so many that I lost count over the years." Edith said with a grin. "Being in love isn't a solitary feeling. You can be in love and angry at the same time. "

"I know that." Janet snapped and Edith ignored it.

"What you have to decide is which feeling are you going to let rule your life. Will it be the anger or the love?"

"If I had to choose right now I would choose the anger because every time I think about Eddie Latekka I just get so mad but I don't want to stay angry all the time. How can I not be angry?"

"You need time honey."

"I can't be with someone who has a set of standards for himself and another for me. No amount of time will change that Grams."

"And that should never change. You should never change your standards for a man Janet but the man in question, I don't think that he was purposely using double standards. What happened with Rory and Hannah, happened a long time ago and when you told Eddie that you had sex with another man, he wasn't thinking of his past. He was thinking of current events. You hurt him Janet. You probably hurt him more than anyone had ever hurt him and that's all he could think of. He was consumed with hurt and when someone is hurt, their first reaction is to hurt back. He wanted you to hurt as much as he was hurting. I believe that was his only goal. The double standards that he used weren't on purpose."

"What should I do?" Janet asked tearfully.

"Give yourself some time, time to really think everything through. Let your anger simmer down and then decide if you want to work things out with the man you love or walk away."

"I can do that."

"Of course you can."

"I love him Grams. I really do."

"I know you do.

* * *

Eight hours later, Janet was pulling into her driveway. She was exhausted, mentally and physically. She was glad to be home and at the same time she didn't want to leave her grandmother but deep down, she knew her grandmother would be okay. She was going to miss her husband, every day, every hour but she was a strong woman and she would continue to live her life, without the love of her life.

"Hey Janet." She had just gotten out of her jeep and jumped when she heard his voice. She was in such deep thought that she never even saw his truck parked across the street. He was slowly walking over to her with his hands in his pockets.

"Eddie I really am not in the mood to talk right now." He was now standing right next to her.

"I know." He reached out and took her bag out of her hand.

"I can carry my own bag."

"I know." He replied and walked up on her porch. Janet sighed and followed him. She nervously tried to unlock the front door. "How's Grams holding up?"

"She's okay. " She unlocked the door and stepped inside and Eddie followed.

"How are you?" Eddie asked softly, setting her bag on the couch.

"I'm hanging in there."

"Look, if you need anything…I'm here."

"I appreciate that."

"I screwed up Janet. I know that I did and you have every right to be pissed off at me."

"Good because I am."

"I'm not going to push. When you're ready I will be too."

"Thank you."

"But you need to know when you're ready, I want to start over. I want to give us another try because I think that we have something amazing."

"I need some time to think everything through."

"Take all the time you need."

"You left your card in my room. I guess I forgot to make sure that you had it when I threw you out of my room." Janet went to her bag and pulled out the baseball card that Gramps wanted him to have along with the wrapped necklace.

"I'll take the card but the gift is yours."

"I don't feel right taking it."

"Regardless of what happens I want you to have it."

"Eddie…"

"Open it Janet. Please." Eddie held out the wrapped box and Janet finally took it from him. Very slowly she removed the wrapping and opened the box. "Eddie…thank you." He took the box from her, removed the necklace and moved behind Janet. Thankfully, she pulled her back in a ponytail for the drive home so he was easily able to clasp it on her neck. He then led her to the decorative mirror that hung in her living room. "I love it."

"As soon as I saw it I thought of you. It's simple yet beautiful, just like you." Eddie turned Janet around and he leaned towards her, initiating a kiss but before his lips could touch hers, she stepped away.

"I don't think that this is a good idea."

"You're right. I'm sorry."

"You should probably go. Hannah will be here any minute."

"I didn't tell Hannah that I told you. I wanted to leave that up to you on whether or not you want her to know."

"I'm going to tell her." Eddie nodded.

"Nick and I got a job out of town so I'm going to be gone for a couple of weeks."

"When will you be back?"

"Two weeks from tomorrow, if everything goes according to plan."

"If everything goes to plan, can we get together two weeks from tomorrow?"

"Two weeks from tomorrow, you and me finishing up our conversation and figuring out where we go from here."

"I think that I want to be with you but I have so much that I need to sort through."

"You don't have to explain."

"Will you…will you wait?"

"I already told you. I wait for as long as you need for me to wait."

"Eddie I…" Janet never got to finish what she was going to say because after a quick knock at the door, Hannah walked in.

"Hey sweetie. I figured that you might need some necessities since you have been gone for… Oh hey Eddie. I didn't know you were here." Hannah said.

"Apparently. " He quipped. "I was just getting ready to leave."

"I'll walk you out." Janet said.

"See you Hannah." Eddie walked out the door followed by Janet. "Even though you asked for time, would it be okay if I called you? Not every day but maybe a few times. It would be nice to hear your voice and I promise that I won't push you to talk about us. We can just talk about the weather."

"I would like that." Eddie reached out and took her hand.

"I'm really going to miss you."

"I'll miss you too." The stood there for a few minutes just staring into each other's eyes.

"Can I…would it be okay if I hugged you?"

"It would be very okay." Eddie pulled Janet to his chest and hugged her tightly. "You should probably go." Janet mumbled into his chest.

"Yeah I probably should." Eddie agreed but he made no move to leave.

"Eddie."

"Okay." Before Eddie pulled away, he placed a loving kiss on her forehead, allowing his lips to linger a few seconds longer than necessary. "Bye Janet. I love you." He whispered when he finally broke their embrace.

"I know you do."

"Two weeks. I'll see you in two weeks. "

"I'll see you then." Janet watched as Eddie got into his car and drove away.

* * *

During the two weeks that they were apart, the days while they were working went by fast, simply because they were both very busy at their respective jobs but at night, when they were lying alone in their respective beds, it seemed that the clock refused to move because their thoughts were always on each other. Janet was still angry with Eddie but her grandmother's words kept running through her mind. She didn't believe that Eddie purposely used a double standard and the more that Janet thought about, she believed it too and by the end of the week she was over her anger and was ready to give them another try but now she had to wait another week to tell him.

During the time that they were apart they shared multiple daily text messages, a few phone calls and on Janet's first day back to work she was surprised when a bouquet of flowers arrived from Eddie with a card "Thinking of you. Have a great week." Every time she looked at the flowers her heart skipped a beat from excitement, she was reminded how much he cared for her. When they exchanged phone calls or text messages Eddie stayed true to his word and never pushed her. The conversations and text messages were always up beat and casual but it left them both wanting more, much more.

As it seemed with the majority of their relationship nothing every goes as it planned. The day before Eddie was due to come home, Janet's boss made her aware of a manager training class that he signed her up for. The class would last two weeks and was taking place at a hotel about three hours outside of Boston, which meant that Janet was the one going to be the one out of town. Janet was excited about the class because she was getting promoted but she was devastated that she was going to have to put off talking to Eddie about the future of their relationship. As much as she wanted to have that conversation she knew it couldn't be had over the phone. She felt horrible when she had to call and break their date but he understood and took the news gracefully. Since she had made him wait two weeks and now he had to wait two more weeks she did tell him that she wanted to talk about getting back together and that news alone put Eddie on cloud nine and he was able to make it another two long weeks.

"Good afternoon Janet. Has it been a year already?" Janet's gynecologist, Dr. Wiseman greeted. Janet had set up her routine Pap smear months ago and it fell on the day she returned home from her training. She considered cancelling and rescheduling it but she did need her birth control refilled, especially if she and Eddie were going to move forward.

"I guess it has." Janet answered. She and Dr. Wiseman engaged in some small talk, then he went over her health history, asked if she has had any problems and then he started every woman's favorite exam.

"Janet, when did you say your last period was?" He asked.

"Maybe five or six weeks ago."

"Is there any chance that you could be pregnant?" Dr. Wiseman removed the speculum.

"No. Of course not." She answered quickly and then recanted. "Uhh actually, yeah, there might be. I've had a lot on my mind."

"When is the last time you had intercourse?"

"About a month ago."

"Were you taking your birth control? Did you use a condom?"

" No. We didn't use a condom." Janet explained nervously. "My grandfather died and I was so upset that I sort of forgot to take my pills for a few days so I figured that I would just restart another pack when my next period starts…which it never did." What Dr. Wiseman was telling her finally sank in. Could she really be pregnant?

"You're cervix is closed and that usually happens during pregnancy. Have you had any symptoms of pregnancy? Fatigue, breast tenderness or vomiting?"

"I…uhh I have been tired but I have also had a lot on my mind and I haven't been sleeping well and my breasts have been tender but they are always tender before my period starts so I just figured that was the reason. I didn't even think anything of it when I didn't start my period because I screwed up on my pills so I assumed that I didn't get my period because of that. Am I pregnant?"

"I believe that you are. Since you are here I am going to bring in an ultrasound and we are going to check so we know for sure." Dr. Wiseman noticed his patient had turned pale. "Are you okay Janet?"

"Yeah. It's just a shock that's all."

"Is this pregnancy a good thing?"

"I…I don't know."

"Are you in a relationship with the father?"

"I don't know." She repeated. "We dated for awhile and then broke up and we are working on getting back together. We never talked about a having a baby so I have no idea what he will say."

"Will he be angry? I can refer you to someone if that's the case."

"No my….Eddie, he is a wonderful man. He's just going to be surprised."

"I'll be right back." While Janet waited for Dr. Wiseman to return she grew more nervous. Tonight she and Eddie were supposed to talk about starting over and now it looks like that they will be talking about a baby. A baby neither of them had every discussed. She knew that he would do the right thing by her and the baby but she also didn't want to force him into something he didn't want or was ready for. She decided, as Dr. Wiseman returned to the room that she wasn't going to force him to raise this child. If necessary, she would raise it on her own.

"Okay Janet, lay back for me and lift the gown." She did as instructed. "I'm going to place this gel on your stomach. It's going to be cold." After a minute Janet watched as the screen turned on. The doctor moved the wand around for a minute before stopping. He was looking intently at the picture on the screen but she couldn't tell what he was looking at. He hit a button and froze the picture, removed the wand and asked his patient to sit up. "See this blob right here?" He asked and Janet nodded.

"Is that my baby?"

"It is." Tears filled Janet's eyes. "But I do have some bad news."

"Is something wrong?"

"I'm sorry Janet but there is no heartbeat." Dr. Wiseman pointed to a spot on the screen. "This is where the heart should be and it's not beating."

"Are you sure? Can you check again?"

"I'm sure. I am very sorry."

"My baby is dead?" She managed to whisper and Dr. Wiseman nodded. "No it can't be. Shouldn't I be having cramps or bleeding? I'm having nothing."

"It probably happened very recently, yesterday or maybe this morning. Cramping and bleeding occurs once your body realizes that the embryo is no longer viable. Your body hasn't realized that yet. If you hadn't of come in today in the next day or so, you would have experienced those cramps."

"So what happens now?"

"I'm going to need you to go to the hospital so I can remove the embryo." Janet nodded. "I'm going to perform a D & C and you will be under anesthesia, it's an outpatient procedure but you will need someone to drive you home." Janet nodded even though she was in a daze. She couldn't seem to comprehend the fact that she had lost a baby that she didn't even know about. "Would you like me to call someone to take you to the hospital?"

"No. I have to find Eddie."

"You need to go to the hospital."

"Eddie. He has to know."

"I can call him."

"No. I have to tell him. I will tell him and then go to the hospital." She informed her doctor.

"Are you okay to drive?"

"Yes. I'm fine."

"I'll see you in about an hour. Is that enough time?"

"Yes. Thank you."

"I'm very sorry Janet."

"So am I."

* * *

Twenty minutes and four or five wrong turns later Janet was walking into Eddie's office. Her hands were shaking as she opened the door. When Eddie heard the bell ring, looked up and saw Janet and he grinned. It had been one very long month since he had seen her and he was thrilled that she was standing in his office but his smile quickly disappeared when he saw Janet's distraught face. He immediately grabbed her hand and she allowed herself to be taken into the back room. The door had just clicked shut and before Eddie had a chance to ask her what was wrong, she wrapped her arms around his neck, buried her face on his chest and began to cry and Eddie was terrified. He had no idea what was wrong with her. He held her tightly as her cries turned into gut wrenching sobs.


	8. Chapter 8

**I own none of the characters of October Road**

Eddie had no idea why Janet was crying and it scared the crap out of him. He didn't know if she was hurt, if she had an accident, if she was sick or maybe something bad happened to someone else and the not knowing is what scared him.

"Did something happen to Grams?" He asked and she shook her head. "Sweetheart, I need you to calm down and tell me what's going on." He tightened his grip and ran one of his free hands through her hair in an attempt to calm her down.

"I didn't know. I didn't know Eddie, I didn't know." She sobbed into his chest.

"What didn't you know Janet?" Janet began to sob harder and Eddie managed to pick up "pregnant," "baby," and "gone" but to Eddie, she was making no sense. He pulled her away from his chest so he could look at her. "I can't understand anything that you are saying so you need to calm down." He instructed and Janet nodded and bit her lip in an attempt to stop crying. "Would you like some water?" Again, she nodded. "I'll be right back. Will you be okay?"

"Y…Y…yes." Eddie kissed her head went out to the front.

"What the hell is going on?" Nick asked as Eddie filled a paper cup full of water.

"I have no idea. She hasn't been able to stop crying."

"Should I call Hannah?"

"Not yet. I'll let you know." Nick nodded and Eddie returned to the storeroom to find Janet still crying but not as hard. She seemed to have calmed down, a little. "Here you go sweetheart." Janet took the cup from him but her hand was shaking so badly that she spilled most of the water onto her lap and Eddie. "What's wrong? Please tell me." Janet took a few deep breaths to calm herself.

"I…I…had a regular doctor's appointment today…to get my birth control refilled…"

"Oh my God. Are you sick? Do you have cancer?" He couldn't bear the thought of his Janet being sick.

"No."

"Then what?"

"My doctor discovered that I …I….was pregnant. It happened in Rhode Island." She may not have been crying but she still had tears rolling down her face.

"Hey why are you so upset about being pregnant?" A large smile appeared on Eddie's handsome face. "I know we didn't plan it, hell we didn't even talk about having a baby but it's not a bad thing Janet. In fact, I think that it's great." Janet suddenly began to sob. "What did I say?" He mumbled as he pulled her to his chest.

"Was pregnant Eddie." Janet cried as she pulled away from him. "I WAS pregnant." Shock crossed Eddie's handsome features as Janet's words sunk in.

"You aren't pregnant?" Janet shook her head. "I'm sorry Janet but I don't understand. Are you upset because you thought that you were pregnant but you're not because if that's the case and you want a baby we can try for one?"

"I actually was pregnant but the baby is dead inside of me."

"Oh Janet…I'm so sorry." He pulled Janet back into his arms and held her.

"No Eddie…I…I'm sorry."

"Why are you sorry? Could you have done anything differently?" She shook her head.

"The doctor said…sometimes this…just happens."

"This is not your fault sweetheart."

"I have to go to the hospital so the doctor can take the baby out of me." Janet sniffed as she pulled back from Eddie. "They have to give me anesthesia and I can't drive home. Can you take me?"

"Of course I'll take you."

"If you have something to do or you can't leave work I will call my mom or…" Eddie reached out and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"I'm taking you. I don't have anything that I have to do but even if I did, nothing is as important as taking care of you." She had just calmed down and tears filled her eyes again. "Aww honey." He pulled her back to his chest and hugged her tightly. "Everything is going to be okay."

* * *

Two hours later Eddie was sitting next to Janet's bed in the recovery room after she had her D & C waiting for Janet's doctor to release her home. She hadn't been awake for very long and was still pretty drowsy. Since Eddie had gotten to the recovery room he had been holding her hand and since she had woken up he has not let go of her hand and she has made no move to pull her hand away.

"Hey Janet, how are you feeling?" Dr. Wiseman asked when he walked into her cubicle.

"Fine." She whispered.

"Cramps?" Janet nodded. "That's to be expected. Now for the rest of today you're going to be very sleepy and crampy. By tomorrow, besides your cramps, which won't be as intense you will feel back to normal but I still want you to take it easy and no sex for two weeks. If need be, you can take Ibuprofen for your cramps. You can't go back to work until Monday."

"I'm not scheduled to work this weekend."

"Now you'll have some light to moderate bleeding today and maybe tomorrow but the bleeding she stop in the next couple of days. You can't use any tampons and if the bleeding gets really heavy you need to call me immediately."

"Okay."

"Do you have any questions?"

"I don't think so."

"I'll make sure that Eddie has information to take with you." The doctor looked at his patient and her boyfriend. "I am very sorry for your loss."

"Thank you." Eddie responded. Janet couldn't speak because she had an enormous lump in her throat.

"I'll get a nurse in here to discharge you. Call if you have any problems."

"We will." Eddie told him.

Twenty minutes later Janet was settled in Eddie's truck and they were headed to her house. Janet wasn't saying anything; she was just lying against the seat staring out the window. "Are you hungry? Do you want to stop and pick up some take out?" He finally asked.

"No thanks. I'm not hungry."

"Do you need anything?"

"No."

"Okay. Once I get you home, if there is anything that you realize that you need, don't hesitate to ask."

"Thank you Eddie."

"It's no problem."

"Not just for offering to get me what I need but for being here with me, through this."

"I love you. Where else would I be?" Janet reached out, found and squeezed his hand and then resumed staring out the window.

When Eddie pulled into Janet's driveway ten minutes later Janet had dozed off and she looked so peaceful hated to wake her because when she was awake the peace was gone but he knew he had to wake her so he regretfully reached over gently shook her. "Hey you're home." He told her when her eyes fluttered open. Janet sat up and reached for the door. "Hang on. Let me help you." She nodded and laid back against the seat. Eddie jumped out of his truck and went to the passenger side and opened the door. "Where are your keys?"

"Purse." She mumbled sleepily. He reached over her and pulled the keys out of her purse.

"Okay. Come on." He helped Janet out of the truck and up to the house. "Where do you want to sleep, bed or couch?"

"Bed."

"Bed it is." Eddie led the sleepy woman to her bedroom, turned down her bed and sat her on it. She immediately started to lie down but Eddie stopped her. "Hang on; we're going to get your pajamas on." He went to her dresser and pulled out a tee shirt, one of his that he had left and a pair of sweats. "Nice shirt."

"Sorry I didn't give it back."

"It's all good." He returned to Janet and then slowly and gently removed her shirt and bra and replaced it with his tee shirt. "Okay stand for me." Janet let Eddie pull her into a standing position and he slowly unbuttoned and pulled down her pants and then he helped her into the sweat pants. "Will you be warm enough?" He asked as he helped her into bed.

"I'll be fine."

"If you need anything, just holler. I'll be in the living room."

"You don't have to stay."

"Actually, I do. Dr. Wiseman said that you aren't allowed to be left alone tonight." Eddie leaned down and kissed her lips softly. "Now sleep. I love you."

"Me too." Janet mumbled through closed eyes.

Eddie sat on the bed next to her, holding her hand until she fell asleep. His heart broke for the woman lying in the bed and he wished he knew what to do for her. She was so hurt and heartbroken and it just wasn't right or fair. Janet was an amazing woman and he knew that she would be an amazing mother to their child. Even though they had never officially talked about having children, losing this one, it broke his heart as well but he couldn't think about his pain right now. He had to be strong for Janet.

He kissed her sleeping form once more and left her to sleep and went to the kitchen for a well needed beer. About an hour later, he heard Janet's cell phone ringing from her purse. With a sigh he went and dug through her purse until he pulled out the phone. When he saw the caller ID flashing "Grams" he debated on whether or not to let it go to voicemail. The only people who knew about the miscarriage was Nick and Hannah, simply because Nick saw how upset Janet was and they knew if they didn't tell him then he would tell Hannah and she would be worried sick so Janet called Hannah on the way to hospital and Eddie told Nick before they left. Janet didn't want to tell her family, yet. She said that she needed some time to deal with this on her own before dealing with her family but Grams was different than the rest of her family and Janet was closer to her than anyone else so if the subject came up, Eddie figured that it would be okay for Grams to know.

"Hey Grams." Eddie greeted when he answered the phone.

"Not the person I was expecting to answer but I'm so glad that you did. I know that you and Janet were planning on having a long overdue talk tonight and I was just calling to wish her luck." Eddie smiled into the phone. "So how are you Eddie?"

"I'm okay."

"You don't sound okay. Are you nervous?"

"Something like that."

"Don't worry. Everything is going to work out the way that it is meant to." Grams said wisely. "So where's my girl? Can you put her on?"

"She's…uhh…she is sleeping."

"Why is she sleeping? What's going on? Is my Janey okay?"

"No Grams, she isn't."

"What's wrong?"

"Janet…she had a miscarriage." Eddie managed to get out.

"I didn't know that she was pregnant."

"Neither did she Grams. It happened when I was in Rhode Island." Eddie's voice had begun to shake and he took a deep breath to calm himself down. "She went to the doctor for a checkup and found out that she was pregnant but the baby…" He couldn't finish the sentence.

"What about the baby?" Grams asked even though she knew the answer. She suspected that Eddie had been too busy taking care of her precious girl then to grieve himself.

"The baby…our baby…was dead." He whispered tearfully. He felt the tears filling his eyes and he squeezed them shut to keep the tears from falling. He wasn't going to cry.

"I am so sorry Eddie." Grams whispered.

"So am I. Janet is heartbroken."

"What about you? How is your heart?"

"It's fine. Janet is the one that lost the baby, not me."

"That's not true Eddie. The baby may have been inside of Janet but it was just as much yours as it was hers."

"I don't know how to feel Grams. I don't understand how this can hurt so damn much." His tears began to fall and he couldn't stop them. "How…can…we only knew…I've only known about the baby…for a few hours…how can losing something I didn't even know I had…hurt so bad?" He cried into the phone. "Grams I've never felt like this before."

"It's your child and it doesn't matter how long you have known about its existence, it's going to hurt, simply because it was your child."

"How can I be strong for Janet when I am falling apart myself?" He sniffled, trying to stop his crying.

"You don't have to be strong for Janey. That girl is strong. She just needs you to be there for her; hold her when she cries or hug her when she is feeling sad." Grams advised.

Eddie didn't realize that Janet had woken up soon after her phone rang and overheard most of Eddie's side of the conversation. She walked up to him and placed a hand on his arm, causing him to jump in surprise.

"I…uhh…Thanks Grams." Eddie handed the phone to Janet. "It's Grams." He told her. Once Janet took the phone Eddie quickly disappeared into the bathroom.

"Hey Grams." Janet said into the phone.

"My sweet Janey. I am so sorry."

"So am I."

"Is there anything that I can do?"

"No. Eddie's here making sure I have everything that I could possibly need and taking wonderful care of me. I don't think that he wants me to see him upset."

"I'm sure that you are right about that but don't let him hide his hurt from you. You two need each other to get through this."

"Will we get through this?" Janet asked her grandmother.

"You will my sweet girl. I promise."

"I hope so." Janet looked up when Eddie returned to the living room, eyes red and swollen. "Grams can I call you later?"

"Call me tomorrow. I love you so much."

"I love you to Grams. " Janet ended the call, placed her phone on the coffee table and took Eddie's hand. "Sit with me." She requested as she led him to the couch. As soon as they were seated, Janet immediately lay against him and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, holding her tightly against him.

"I hope it was okay that I told Grams about the…"

"About the baby." Janet filled in and he nodded. "I'm glad that you told her. Grams always has a way of making things seem better."

"Yeah she does."

"You know that you can say the word "baby."

"I know. It's just…hard."

"I heard you tell Grams that you need to be strong for me."

"Yeah." Janet turned her upper body so she was facing the man she loved.

"You don't have to be strong for me."

"I do."

"No you don't. I need your support not your strength. I need to support you. Shedding tears over the lost of our baby doesn't mean that you are weak. It means that you are a man with feelings. I didn't fall in love with a man who hides his feelings. I fell in love with a man who feels so it's okay to feel the loss of our baby in front of me."

"But I…" Janet placed a finger in front of his lips.

"Feel it Eddie." Tears filled Eddie's eyes.

"This sucks Janet. This really sucks. What in the hell does the universe have against us?" Eddie finally let his tears fall in front of Janet and she pulled his head to her chest to cradle him.

"I don't think that the universe is against us."

"It sure feels like it is."

"I've had some time to think about this and I feel like we lost our baby for a reason. Maybe it was sick and if it would have died later in the pregnancy it would have been harder or if the pregnancy would have made it to term then maybe the baby would have been so sick and it would have only have lived for a short period of time and that would have been devastating."

"Do you really think so?" Eddie whispered.

"I have to. It's the only way I can get through this."

"Then I'm going to have to think like that because I have been trying to come up with a reason that makes sense to me and I haven't been successful."

"I don't know if there is a reason Eddie." Eddie lifted his head off of Janet's chest, wiped his tears and then he wiped her tears away and finally he kissed her softly.

"I'm sorry Janet." He whispered when they broke apart. "I probably shouldn't have done that."

"I'm glad that you did. I think we both needed that."

"You know, this is not how I planned for this evening to go." Eddie told her once she settled herself next to him, laying her head on his shoulder.

"I know that I promised you that we would talk tonight but I'm so tired and…"

"I get it and its fine which by the way, why are you awake? You didn't sleep long. Are you okay?"

"My cramps woke me up."

"Did you take something?" Janet nodded. "Are you hungry?"

"Actually I am."

"What are you in the mood for?" Janet considered his question.

"Chinese?"

"Sounds good. I'll go get it. Do you want your regular?"

"Yes please."

"Do you need anything else while I'm out?"

"Actually…"

* * *

Eddie never thought that he would ever be standing in the feminine care products aisle at the drugstore but here he was standing in front of all of the maxi pads in shock. He never realized just how many different types of maxi pads there were and Janet didn't tell him what kind to get. She just told him that she needed pads. He reached in his pocket for his phone to call her and find out what kind she needed but he realized that he left his phone at her place so he just picked out a bunch of different kinds, some with wings, some without, extra long, powder scent, extra absorbent. He figured she could use at least one of the packs. After grabbing another bottle of Ibuprofen he went to the register and the look the old lady ringing him up gave him made him feel like a pervert.

A half an hour later later he was back in Janet's living room placing their dinner on the table and handing her his pharmacy bag. "What on earth?" Janet asked with a grin as she pulled out all the packs of maxi pads he had bought.

"You know, you didn't tell me how many different kinds of these things there are. I had no idea what kind to buy for you and of course I left my phone at home so I just randomly picked some and why in the hell are there wings on some? Do they fly?" An exasperated Eddie asked and Janet giggled

"No they don't fly. The wings help keep the pad secure in your underwear."

"I'm sorry I asked. Will you be able to use what I bought cause if not, I will go back and get you what you need."

"What you bought is fine. Grab my wallet and pull out what you paid for them."

"I'm not worried about it." Janet sighed, moved from the couch to her purse. She pulled out the money and handed it to him but he wouldn't take it.

"Take the money."

"I don't need it."

"Eddie take the damn money. I don't need you buying my pads." Not wanting to upset her, he took the money but planned to sneak it back into her purse when she wasn't around.

After Janet took care of her bathroom needs they settled together on the couch with their Chinese Food on their laps and the television set on some comedy, which neither of them were really paying attention to. Their minds were on their lost child, the child that they would never know.

"Are you done?" Eddie asked when Janet placed her still half-full dinner on the coffee table, an hour and a half later.

"Yeah. I'm not as hungry as I thought that I was."

"Yeah. Me either." Eddie placed his still half-full dinner next to hers. "I guess that we have leftovers."

"Chinese food is no good warmed up in the microwave."Janet mumbled.

"Right."

"I'm sorry that you wasted your money on dinner."

"I didn't waste my money. We needed to eat." Eddie stretched out his arm, wrapped his arm around Janet and pulled her close to him and Janet settled her head on his shoulder.

"I know that I have already told you this but thank you for being here. I…I…wouldn't have made it through this without you." Janet wiped away yet some more tears. "Dammit." She sniffed. "I am so damned tired of crying."

"It's okay to cry Janet. You lost a child."

"We lost a child Eddie. " Janet clarified.

"You're right. We lost a child." Eddie rested his head on top of hers. "Do you think that we will ever feel or more accurately not feel about this because every time that I think or feel about this baby, I want to cry one second and then punch something the next."

"You're angry."

"Hell yes I'm angry. Aren't you?"

"What good would it do to be angry?"

"Seriously Janet?" Eddie lifted his head, removed his arm from around her shoulders and pulled away from her.

"Seriously what?"

"You can't believe that line of BS you just fed me."

"I beg your pardon?" Eddie stood.

"It's crap Janet. You not being angry is a big load of crap. How could you not be pissed off?"

"I see what's going on." Janet stood and the two of them faced off.

"And what exactly is going on Janet?"

"You're angry all right. You're angry at me for losing our baby." Janet turned and tried to walk away but Eddie reached out and grabbed her upper arm. "Let me go." She easily shrugged out of his grasp because he wasn't holding tight.

"I am angry Janet. I am so pissed off that I can't see straight. I am mad at God, the world, the universe and right now I'm pissed off at any one who has been pregnant or has had a kid but not you Janet, not you."

"Well you should be."

"It wasn't…"

"I was its mother. I should have known. I should have known that I was pregnant. I should have known that something was wrong with the baby. If I would have known that I was pregnant then I might have known that something was wrong and…and…then…" Janet lost control and began to sob. "It's my fault. It's my fault our baby is gone." Again, Eddie took the woman he loved in his arms but this time Janet fought him. She hit him in his chest with her fists. "It's my fault. It's all my fault." Eddie struggled to calm her down. He grabbed both of her arms with one of his hands and held them still against his chest while he used her other arm to pull her to his chest. "Please…let me…go." She sobbed.

"I'm not letting go. We are in this together."

"No. I…don't de…deserve…you…my fault…baby…"

"Shhh honey, shhh. It's not your fault." Janet didn't respond. She finally relaxed in his embrace and cried. "Shhhh." He whispered as he held her. When he relaxed his grip on her hand she wrapped her arms around his back and gripped as tightly as she could. When her tears finally let up he gently sat them down on the couch. "You okay sweetheart?" He asked softly once she finally stopped crying.

"Not really but I guess that's normal for this situation."

"I have no idea what is normal." Eddie sighed. "Sweetheart, you know that the miscarriage was not your fault. Dr. Winslow said it was nothing that you did or didn't do."

"I know what he said."

"I don't blame you Janet and you shouldn't blame yourself."

"I'm sorry that I lost it."

"You are allowed. You can't keep all of your feelings bottled up inside."

"I'm really sorry I hit you."

"You're really not as strong as you think you are. I barely felt it." For the first time all day Eddie saw a genuine smile.

"You just wait until I feel better and then I will prove you wrong buster."

"I'm looking forward to it."

"Just wait." Janet said with a yawn.

"Come on babe. Let's get you to bed."

"It's barely nine o'clock."

"Yeah but you're exhausted. It's been a rough day."

""I can stay awake. Let's watch a movie."

"You won't make it five minutes. Come on."

A few minutes later Janet had taken some more ibuprofen and was being tucked into bed by Eddie. Once he was sure that she was comfortable he leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Goodnight Janet. Sleep well." Before he walked away Janet reached out and grabbed his hand.

"Stay."

"I am staying. Remember, you're not allowed to be alone for twenty four hours. I'll be on the couch."

"Stay." Janet repeated. "I know that I am being selfish but I just don't want to sleep alone tonight. Please stay."

"If that's what you want then I'll stay."

"It is."

"Okay. Let me go lock up and I'll be right back."

"Thank you." If it would have been under any other circumstances he would have been thrilled about sleeping next to Janet and he would have taken full advantage of the situation but not tonight. He knew that tonight was about not being alone and being there for each other.

He quickly locked the door, threw away their uneaten dinner, turned the lights off and returned to Janet's bedroom. He pulled off his shirt and jeans and climbed in bed. Janet immediately rolled over, laid her head on his chest and her arm fell across his abdomen and he snaked an arm around her.

They didn't fall asleep right away. They both laid awake in the dark staring at nothing and thinking about what they had lost today. Eddie felt Janet's tears hit his bare chest and his followed shortly thereafter. They never said a word to each other. They just held each other tightly until they fell asleep.


	9. Chapter 9

**I own none of the characters of October Road**

The next morning Eddie woke up, rolled over without opening his eyes and he reached for Janet but all his hand found was a cold empty space. An instant later his nose picked up the smell of bacon and French toast. He grinned and sat up. Janet was making breakfast. His stomach rumbled letting him know that he was in fact starving. Glancing at the clock and seeing that if was a few minutes after nine he pulled himself out of bed, pulled his jeans on, took care of his bathroom needs and went to the kitchen. He found Janet in front of the stove working on the French toast. He leaned against the wall, crossed his arms over his bare chest and just watched her. She looked normal and maybe even a bit happy considering what they just went through.

"Good morning." Janet greeted when she caught a glimpse of him out of the corner of her eye. She turned around and smiled at him.

"Good morning to you too." Eddie walked over and the two of them shared a tight hug. "How are you?"

"I'm better." Eddie pulled back and looked into her eyes and saw that she believed what she was saying. "How about you?" She pulled away from him and turned back to the stove.

"I'm good." Eddie reached out and grabbed a slice of bacon. Janet reached out and slapped his hand but Eddie just laughed and shoved the bacon into his mouth. "What time did you get up?"

"Seven."

"Really. I know you slept for crap last night. All you did was toss and turn."

"I'm sorry if I kept you up."

"Couldn't you sleep?"

"I was sleeping until my cramps woke me up and then I couldn't go back to sleep."

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Nothing that some ibuprofen won't fix. Are you hungry? I'm starved considering that we hardly ate yesterday."

"I'm starving." Eddie admitted. "Can I help?"

"Grabbing some plates and pouring some juice would be helpful."

"You got it." The two of them worked together silently until breakfast was ready and then they placed themselves at Janet's small table for two. "This is delicious. It's melting in my mouth." Eddie complemented after he took his first bite, half of the piece of bread.

"I'm glad that you like it. I hope I made enough." Eddie looked at the stack of French toast.

"I don't know. There may not be enough."

"I'll make some more." Janet started to get up but Eddie reached out and grabbed her hand.

"Will you relax babe? I was kidding. There is plenty of food here."

"Do you want the paper?" Before they broke up when Eddie stayed the night when they ate breakfast together Eddie always read the paper while Janet watched him read the paper.

"No. Not today."

The non-couple enjoyed a leisurely breakfast, enjoying comfortable, casual conversation. Eddie told her about the two weeks he spent out of town, everything that went wrong and the adventures that he and Nick shared trying to get everything done on time. Janet told him about her training, what she would be doing as the assistant manager and how excited she was about her new position.

After breakfast they cleaned the kitchen together which really wasn't a big deal since Janet cleans as she cooks. Just as the last piece of silverware was placed in dishwasher Janet's doorbell rang and they looked at each other. "It's probably Hannah. She wanted to come over last night but I put her off until this morning."

"Are you okay with this? I can send her home if you're not ready to see anyone yet."

"I know that you want to protect me but I'm really okay. Hannah is my best friend and she just wants to be my friend and support me."

"Hello?" They heard Hannah calling.

"We're really going to have to change the locks." Eddie grumbled and Janet grinned.

"We're in the kitchen." Janet called as she closed and started the dishwasher.

"Hey." Hannah greeted. "I wasn't sure if you would feel like cooking so I made you a casserole but apparently you do because I can smell your breakfast."

"Thanks Hannah." Janet told her friend and Eddie took the casserole from her to put it in the fridge.

"Why don't you two go relax in the living room? Would you like some coffee?" Eddie thoughtfully asked.

"That would be great." On the way to the living room, Janet turned around and gave Eddie a genuine smile.

Eddie began to brew a fresh pot of coffee since he and Janet polished off one pot between the two of them during breakfast. After finding out how Hannah liked her coffee he made Janet's exactly how she liked it and he took the girls their coffee. "Well since Hannah is here would you mind if I ran home for a shower?"

"You don't need my permission to leave." Janet answered.

"I know that but you can't be alone until this evening in case you hemorrhage."

"I think I'll be okay for a little while."

"I'm not taking that chance with you."

"Go home and shower. You stink. Hannah will be here, won't you?"

"I'll be here."

"Okay and by the way I don't stink." Eddie bent down and pressed a brief kiss to her lips. "If you need ANYTHING you call me."

"Are you taking your phone into the shower with you?" Janet quipped with a wink.

"That's for me to know and you to find out. I'll be back soon."

Eddie regretfully left Janet's house and drove home. Of course Phil was home but Pizza Girl was there as well so he didn't have to really talk to them. He showered and shaved quickly and then threw on some clean clothes. As he was getting ready to leave his cell phone rang and seeing who it was, Eddie couldn't just let it go to voicemail.

"Hey pop."

"My sander just crapped out on me. Can I borrow yours?"

"Sure. When do you need it?"

"As soon as possible. "

"Well I uhh…." Eddie's first instinct was to tell his dad that he would bring it over the next day but his dad always dropped everything if Eddie ever needed him and since Hannah was with Janet he could run his sander over to his dad. "I'll be right over."

"Good and while you're here you can have a cup of coffee with your mother and I. She misses you."

"I don't think that I will have time."

"Good luck with that." His dad quipped. "See you in a few minutes." Sighing, Eddie ended the call and went out to the garage to get his sander.

Twenty minutes later Eddie was hauling his sander into his parent's house. "Thanks son. You have no idea how much I appreciate it."

"No problem. Where do you want it?"

"The den." It seemed that Eddie's parents were always remolding something and the latest project was their den.

"Hey stranger." Judee Latekka greeted her son.

"I had to work on Tuesday. How many times to have I to say that I am sorry for bailing?" Every Tuesday Eddie had dinner with his parents and brother. They had been doing it for years and whenever Eddie missed a meal, regardless of the reason, his mom gave him hell.

"Let me get back to you on that." Judee reached out and took her oldest child into her arms. As soon as his mother's arms went around him, Eddie's defenses crumbled and he began to cry. "Eddie what's wrong?" He didn't answer. He just cried; something he rarely did in front of his parents and now they were worried. Judee continued to hold her son until his tears subsided. "Come on. Let's sit." The three of them went to the kitchen table and Judee got the three of them a cup of coffee.

"I'm sorry." He mumbled as he stared into his coffee cup.

"It's okay to cry son." Mitch told him.

"Eddie what's going on?" His mom asked.

"Janet." He had told his parents of his relationship problems, not the specifics, and his desire to fix their relationship.

"You two couldn't work things out?" Eddie shook his head and his mother took that shake of the head as an affirmative answer that they didn't work things out. "I'm sorry honey. I know how much you cared for her."

"It's not that. We actually haven't even had that conversation yet." Eddie took a deep breath. "Janet had a miscarriage yesterday." He whispered tearfully.

"Oh sweetheart. I am so sorry."

"We didn't know. Hell, when it happened we weren't even a couple."

"Huh?" Mitch asked.

"When her grandfather died I went to Rhode Island for the funeral. I was hanging out with her in her hotel room and one thing led to another and she gets pregnant."

"How did you feel about the pregnancy?" Judee asked.

"I didn't have time to feel about the pregnancy. We didn't even know that she was pregnant. Janet went to the doctor for a regular appointment and that's when she found out that she…that we were going to have a baby but the baby…it was already…already dead." He felt tears filling his eyes and his mother reached out and squeezed his hand.

"I know it's hard to believe but it will get better." His dad told him. His parents got pregnant with Eddie very easily. In fact Judee was pregnant when she and Mitch got married. When Eddie was two years old they decided to have another baby but it never happened. Judee suffered from five miscarriages before her doctor told her that she would never be able to carry another child so they decided to adopt. When Eddie was ten years old Max, the brother he had always wanted joined their family.

"How is Janet holding up?"

"It was really bad yesterday. When she came to the office to tell me she was crying so hard I couldn't understand her. After her procedure she was pretty mellow but then we started talking about it and she tried to tell me that she wasn't angry but then she let it out and got pissed off which I think she needed. She slept like crap last night, tossing and turning all night but today, she seems better. She woke up early and made us breakfast."

"Every day she will continue to feel better emotionally but there will still be some days when her heart will break all over again. Let it happen and comfort her when it does. "

"Thanks mom. I will."

"Eddie I'm sure that you don't realize how much it means to Janet that you have been supporting her through this." His mom told him.

"I wouldn't be anywhere else. It helps me to being with her."

"Are you and Janet officially together?"

"I have no idea what in the hell we are dad. We were supposed to talk about the status of our relationship but …"

"What do you want?"

"Her." Eddie admitted to his parents. "I want a life with her."

"I want that for you too, more than anything. I want you to be happy."

"Your mouth to God's ears mom." Mitch and Judee had never heard Eddie speak about another woman like he spoke about Janet. They have never seen him happier then he was when he and Janet were together and they had never seen him more miserable when they broke up. He never told them the specifics of their breakup but they assumed that it was bad. They were thrilled when he told them that he wanted to give his and Janet's relationship another go. "Mom I really, really want you guys to meet Janet. Can I…can I….invite her over for Tuesday night dinner?" Eddie had never asked to bring a girl home to meet the family, not even Rory.

"Absolutely. I.." Mitch gave his wife a look. "We want to meet this young lady as well." Eddie smiled slowly at his parents, sat up and rubbed his eyes.

"I'm sorry that I dumped on you guys."

"I'm glad you dumped." Mitch told him.

"Where's Max? Don't tell me that little turd is still snoozing."

"I seem to recall that when you were eighteen you would sleep till noon on the weekends."

"Good times." Eddie said with a grin.

"He stayed the night a friend's house." His dad answered.

"Bummer. I wanted to wake him up." Eddie slowly stood and his parents did the same. "I should probably get back to Janet."

"Yeah. You probably should." Mitch and Judee hugged their son. "I am so sorry."

"I know mom. I know."

"You two will get through this." Mitch told him.

"I hope so. Tell Max I'll see him tomorrow."

"Will do. We love you son."

"I love you guys too."

* * *

On his way back to Janet's Eddie stopped and rented them a couple of movies since Janet was under strict instructions to take it easy. He figured it didn't get much easier than being cuddled up together on the couch watching movies. Not needing another excuse to cry, he picked out some comedies. He knew that they both could use a good laugh.

"Hey I'm back." He walked in and found Janet and Hannah where he had left them.

"Do you feel better?" Eddie knew she wasn't just asking about his shower. He sent her a text telling her that he was stopping at his parents.

"Yeah. I do." Hannah saw a tender look pass between the two of them and decided that it was time to make a hasty exit.

"I need to go pick Sam up from Doodie's house. " The women stood and embraced. "Call me if you need anything."

"I will. Thanks for everything."

"What are friends for?" Eddie walked Hannah to the door.

"Thanks for being here for her…for us." Hannah smiled at Eddie and then slipped out the door. "I got movies." Eddie told Janet once Hannah left.

"Great but first I think that I am going to take a bath."

"Do you need any help?"

"Eddie I've been bathing by myself for quite a few years now. I think that I can handle it."

"I'm being too clingy and over-bearing huh?"

"Just a little."

"I'm sorry. I'll back off."

"I appreciate that."

"I just worry about you."

"How about a compromise? I will promise that if I need you to worry I'll let you know and then you can worry all you want okay?"

"Deal. Enjoy your bath."

"I plan on it."

* * *

Janet spent over an hour in the tub. He remembered fondly from when they were dating that she loved to indulge in long, hot bubble baths. In fact he indulged in a few of those with her. Before Janet, he never took a bath and after Janet came into his life he found he enjoyed taking baths but only if they were with her. He was tempted a few times to go and check on her but he forced himself to stay in the living room. He didn't want to continue to suffocating her.

Throughout the last half an hour that Janet was in the tub her phone starting ringing. He rolled his eyes in irritation when he saw that it was Lillian, Janet's sister. He muted the phone and let it go to voicemail. Five minutes later the phone rang again and Eddie repeated his previous response. By the time Janet emerged from the bathroom in her robe and a towel on her head he was ready to break the phone in half.

"What's wrong?" She saw the look of irritation on his face.

"Your sister has been calling every few minutes. It finally stopped a few minutes ago."

"I'll call her after I get dressed."

"How was your bath?"

"Delightful. It was well needed. I'm going to get dressed."

Janet went into her bedroom and he went to the kitchen to get something to drink. He just opened the fridge when Janet's front door opened and Lillian walked in. "Janet. Janet where in the hell are you?" Janet's older sister shouted.

"There is no reason to shout Lil." Eddie snapped when he walked into the living room. "And by the way, have you ever heard of knocking?"

"This is my sister's house and I don't have to knock. What are you doing here? I thought that you two broke up."

"None of your business."

"Where is my sister?"

"I'm right here." Janet had walked out of her room, dressed and her hair was out of the towel hanging down her back wet and curly. "What's wrong? Is everything okay?"

"No everything is not okay. You were supposed to be at my house an hour ago to watch the boys." Janet clapped a hand over her mouth.

"Oh Lil, I'm sorry. I forgot."

"I'm sorry and I forgot; that's all you have to say? Jason and I had a 12 o'clock tee time that we missed. Now because you are sorry and forgetful Jason is scrambling to get us another tee time."

"You're this pissed off because you missed a freaking tee time? What in the hell is wrong with you?" Eddie snapped. He was seething. Janet placed her hand on his deltoid muscle, letting him know without words that she was going to handle her sister.

"I really am sorry Lillian. I've had stuff on my mind and I forgot?"

"What could possibly be on your mind that's more important than a commitment that you made? Don't tell me that you blew me off for a piece of ass."

"I didn't blow you off for a piece of ass. It doesn't matter. Just know that I'm sorry." Lillian's phone beeped and she read her text message.

"Jason was able to get us another tee time. Get your shoes on and let's go."

"I'm sorry Lillian but I can't watch the boys today."

"I don't care what you want Janet. You made a commitment to watch the boys." Janet took a deep breath.

"I'll watch them next weekend if I don't work but I can't do it today. I'm really sorry."

"Jason and I need this time. We need time to be a couple instead of parents. You don't have any idea how time consuming it is to be a mother." Eddie's instinct to protect Janet kicked in when Lillian made that "mother" comment but Janet didn't give him a chance.

"I had a miscarriage yesterday. That's why I can't watch YOUR kids. I'm dealing with the loss of MY own child. I'm sorry that my miscarriage interfered with your plans to golf today."

"Janet I didn't know." Lillian whispered.

"No Lillian you didn't know but you do know me and you know that I would never just blow you off."

"I'm so sorry."

"I would like for you to leave now."

"Janet sweetie…"

"Lillian you heard her. Janet wants you to go."

"I'm sorry." Lillian whispered tearfully before she walked out of her sister's house.

"We don't have long." Janet told Eddie.

"Huh?"

"She's going to my mom's and the two of them will be back. We've probably got about a half hour before this house is invaded with Meadows women so if you want to escape, now would be the time."

"I'm not going anywhere babe." Janet sighed and sat on the couch and Eddie followed suit and grabbed her hand. "You ready for this?"

"I planned on telling them today. Lillian just sped the process up."

"I told my parents today. I hope it was okay."

"Eddie it was your child just as much as it was mine. You can tell whomever you want. I'm glad that you told your parents."

"I just wish that I …that we didn't have to tell our families that we lost a baby. I wish that we could have told them that we were having one."

"Me too."

* * *

Janet was right. She knew her family well. Her mother, sister and father were all at Janet's door within an half an hour. Eddie made himself scare out on the porch. He didn't want to intrude. He had time alone with his parents when he told them of the grandchild that they would never know and he figured that he owed it Janet to give her the time alone with her family.

Janet thought that she had a better grip on the loss but when she talked about the loss of her baby with her mom, dad and sister she cried, again. For most of her life Lillian was a very selfish woman who took advantage of most everyone in her life, especially her sister, but she has been known to step up when needed and right now her sister needed her and Lillian stepped up and gave Janet the support that she needed and if Janet was completely honest with herself, she was grateful for her sister's presence today.

"Latekka." Eddie had dozed off and he jumped at the sound of Janet's father's voice.

"Mr. Meadows." Eddie stood.

"Last I heard was the two of you had broken up and now I find out that she was pregnant and you are the father. What in the hell is going on?"

"We had a moment."

"I appreciate you being here with her through all of this."

"I lost a child too. We are here for each other. "

"What are your intentions with my daughter?"

"I love Janet, more than anything and I want to be with her, really be with her."

"Did you know that I am a retired military policeman?"

"Janet told me."

"My precious girl is happiest when she is with you. Do. Not. Hurt. Her. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes sir."

"Daddy quit threatening Eddie." Janet had come out onto the porch and Eddie immediately noticed Janet's red and swollen eyes and nose and he thought she looked beautiful.

"I wasn't threatening him; was I?"

"He was totally threatening me but it's nothing I can't handle." The two men shook hands and then hugs were exchanged between Janet and her family. Janet's family reluctantly left, leaving Eddie and Janet alone.

"I am so damn tired of crying. I need to get out of here."

"Huh?" Eddie asked dumbfounded.

"I'm feeling closed in. Can we get out of here?"

"Sure. Where do you want to go?"

"Outside. I need fresh air. Can we go somewhere private so we can have that long overdue conversation about our relationship and where we stand?"

"I know the perfect place."


	10. Chapter 10

**I own none of the characters of October Road**

"You snuck me into the drive-in?" Janet asked in shock.

"I sure did." Eddie said proudly.

"Why?" Eddie took her hand and they continued walking.

"Just wait." They continued walking towards the entrance until Eddie stopped in front of the small playground that was in front of one of the screens. "You once told me that when you were a kid, you loved to swing. We need to talk and you said that you wanted some fresh air. We need privacy so I figured that this place would give us all the privacy in the world while you indulged in some childhood memories." Eddie grabbed her hand and led her to a swing. "Come on. Let me give you a push."

"I haven't been on a swing in years." Janet said as she sat on the swing.

"Hold on." Eddie went behind Janet and began to push her and he grinned when he heard her giggle like a little girl. Once she had some height to her swing he grabbed the swing next to her, sat in the opposite direction that she was facing and with a tender smile he watched her stretch her body out so her feet were straight out in front of her while her head stretched out and when her feet were in the air her head was back so far that her hair brushed the ground. "Want another push?" He asked when she slowed down.

"I'm good. I don't want to overdo it." She told Eddie with a grin. "So how many girls have you snuck in here?"

"None. You are the first." Janet raised her eyebrows. "Really." He insisted.

"Then how do you know how to sneak in?"

"During high school the guys and I used to come here and get drunk." Janet laughed.

"Why does that not surprise me?" Eddie reached out and grabbed the chain of her swing so they could swing back and forth together.

"I was a teenager. What do you expect?" Janet didn't answer him. She just looked at the ground and Eddie could tell that she was nervous so he gave her a few minutes alone with her thoughts before he broached the subject of their relationship. "Janet I want a relationship with you. Can you tell me what you want?" He asked her gently.

"I want to start over."

"I want that too."

"I want to leave the past in the past."

"Same here." She looked up at him with tears in her eyes.

"I'm scared." She finally admitted softly.

"Of what?"

"Of not being able to let go of the past or you not being able to let go of what I did. What if we are making love and all you can think about is what I did to you? I can't go through losing you again because of what I did." A tear slipped from her eye and he gently wiped it away with his thumb.

"If you recall we have already made love and trust me when I say that never once did you sleeping with Rooster cross my mind."

"But we weren't at my place, in my bed where I slept with Rooster. That can all change if we have sex in that bed."

"What you did, it's in the past Janet and that's where I want it to stay and I'm leaving it there."

"I'm so sorry Eddie."

"I have forgiven you. It's time you forgive yourself Janet."

"I really don't deserve your forgiveness or you."

"You made a mistake and you deserve my forgiveness and you deserve me. I'm one hell of a catch." In spite of her tears, Janet smiled. "I'm scared too." He told her.

"Of what?"

"I'm scared of making the same mistakes I made before and making you believe that you aren't the most important person in my life." He let go of the swing and reached for her hand. "You are the most important person in my life and I just want a second chance to prove it. Will you let me prove that to you?"

"What if…what if we agree to start over and…?"

"I've learned from my mistakes. Have you?"

"I have."

"I'm not going to lie to you ever again, even a lie of omission. If another old girlfriend shows up in town, she will know right away that I am happily involved with an amazing woman. What have you learned?"

"I have learned that I need to speak up when I have concerns about our relationship. I have also learned that instead of assuming that I know something, I need to ask you."

"So what do you say? Can we start over?" Janet could hear the hope in his voice.

"I want that Eddie. I want that more than anything."

"I want that too Janet." With a smile Eddie leaned over, pulled Janet's swing over towards him and the two of them shared a long slow kiss.

"So are we boyfriend and girlfriend or two people that are just dating?" Janet asked when they broke apart.

"You are my girlfriend and I am your boyfriend. The first time around, you wouldn't have asked me that. Things are already changing." Their faces were only mere inches apart.

"Speaking of change…"

"Bring it on. Starting over is about change and obviously, things should change or we're going to end up right back to where we were nine months ago."

"I enjoyed the way our relationship was but…"

"Tell me. What do you want to change?"

"Most of our dates consisted of going out to dinner, going to a movie, or watching movies at one of our places and then sex and there is nothing wrong with that but I want more."

"More?"

"I want our dates to be more than eating, watching movies and sex. I want to do things, activities."

"We can do activities." There were so many ideas forming in his head already. "Like I told you, the only other real relationship that I have ever had was with Rory and that was back in high school and back then our dates were movies or sporting events. When I got older my dates were primarily about getting laid and I learned early on that all I needed to do to get laid was feed the girl and get her back to her place."

"Thanks for that fountain of information."

"What I'm trying to say is that's the reason that our dates were primarily dinner and movies at your place but I'm going to change that because you are so much more than a great lay."

"I guess I should take that as a compliment."

"You should."

"Speaking of getting laid…"

"Oh no."

"Since we are starting over I think we should wait awhile before we sleep together. I don't want to rush the sex. I really want to take the time to get to know each other."

"How long are we talking about waiting?"

"Eddie!"

"The only reason that I am asking is since we are starting over the first time we make love in the "new us" relationship you won't be the initiating it. It's going to be me this time, like it should have been the first time around."

"A few months probably."

"It's going to be a long few months."

"It's for the best Eddie."

"I know Janet but it doesn't mean that I have to like it."

"Are you angry?"

"No babe. I'm not angry."

"I've been doing all the talking. Is there anything that you would like to change in our new relationship?"

"The changes that I want to see in our relationship are on my end. I need to make sure that you never doubt where you stand in my life and how much you mean to me. I need to step up."

"There is nothing that you want me to change?"

"Well yeah. I would love for you to wait on my every need. I want you to give me back rubs and rub my feet on demand. I would like my clothes and even my socks and underwear ironed."

"Keep dreaming Latekka. That will never happen."

"I figured but it was worth a try." Janet grinned at him. "You're changing everything that I would want for you to change. You're already speaking up and telling me what you want from this relationship."

"It just doesn't seem fair that I am the one wanting to change things."

"It's all good." Eddie leaned forward and kissed his girlfriend again. "So do you have any plans for tomorrow?" He asked breathlessly when they broke apart.

"No plans."

"Would you like to go out tomorrow afternoon and participate in an activity?"

"Depends on the activity."

"It's a surprise." Janet loved surprises so she quickly agreed.

"What time?"

"I have to make some phone calls and then I'll let you know."

"I can't wait." Janet stood from the swing. "My ass is going numb. Can we get out of here?"

"I thought that you would never ask. My ass went numb about ten minutes ago." Eddie reached for Janet's hand.

"Can I make a request?"

"Of course."

"I would like to come back here when movies are showing. I think that it will be fun to sit in the back of your truck with Hannah and Nick and watch a movie."

"Your wish is my command." Eddie stopped walking and pulled Janet to his chest. "Even though we are technically starting over is it okay for me to tell you that I love you?"

"I think so."

"I love you Janet."

"I love you too Eddie." Standing on her tiptoes, she pressed her lips against his and for the first time in nine months, they both actually felt truly happy again.

* * *

"Geez woman watch where you swing that thing." Eddie gasped, ducking out of the way at the last minute.

"You told me to swing it as hard as I can."

"But not all the way around. You almost nailed me in the head. If it weren't for my superfast reflexes then I would probably be unconscious due to a club in the head right now."

"I'm sorry." Janet told him with a grin.

"Yeah. You really look it." Eddie came and stood behind Janet. "Now I'm going to show you again how it's done." He wrapped his body around hers, grabbed her hands, placed them on the club and then placed his hands over hers.

"Are you going to show me how it's done or just stand there?" Eddie was just behind her, enjoying the way she smelled and felt pressed up against him.

"Get ready to learn." Eddie proceeded to show her, again, how to properly swing a golf club.

His parents have a membership at the Country Club in Mission Flats and their membership allowed guests to come and play golf. When Eddie pulled into the country club, Janet was shocked. She had no idea that his parents had a membership. When she found out they would be spending the afternoon golfing, she became very cocky, assuming she would be great at it simply because she rocked at playing miniature golf. She talked some major crap about how good she was and she ended up eating her words because she was horrible.

"Now remember what I said. Swing hard but don't go all the around." He kissed her neck and then stepped to the side. Janet did as he showed her and this time she managed to hit the ball but in the process she kicked up some dirt that flew right into Eddie's face.

"I hit it. I hit the ball. Look how far it went." Janet was so excited that she didn't even realize that she shucked a load of dirt with her golf club into her boyfriend's face.

"I would like to but I can't see with all of this dirt in my face." Janet turned to face Eddie.

"Oh my God. Did I do that?" She was biting her lip to keep from laughing but she was having trouble succeeding.

"Yes Steve Urkel, you did." Unable to contain herself any longer, Janet burst out laughing.

"I'm so sorry." She managed to get out between giggles. She walked over and attempted to wipe the dirt from him face.

"Again, I'm not really sensing that you are." Janet just laughed harder as she wiped his face.

"I…am…"

"Sure you are." He smiled at her. He couldn't be mad at her.

"I really am." She managed to get her giggles under better control.

"You really suck at golf."

"I'm getting better."

"No you're not."

"Well maybe if my teacher was any good then maybe I wouldn't suck so much." The two of them walked to the golf cart.

"The teacher is only as good as the student and my student sucks."

"Can I drive?"

"Nope."

"Why not?" Janet grumbled.

"Only good golf players can drive the golf cart." Janet stuck her tongue out at her boyfriend and Eddie laughed.

The two finished up their nine holes which took a couple of hours simply because Janet was so bad and the two of them couldn't stop laughing, especially at the ninth hole. It took Janet six times before she got the ball in the hole. No matter how hard she tried the just kept rolling right past the hole. Finally she was exasperated with herself and Eddie's laughter she picked the ball up and dropped it in the hole.

"Good game babe." Eddie complimented after he hit his ball into the ninth hole.

"Shut up. I was horrible."

"Yeah. You were pretty horrible but I'm sure that you will get better with more practice."

"You're just saying that."

"I am. I don't think that there is any hope for you." Janet tried to act hurt but Eddie knew she agreed with him. "Wanna drive?"

"I thought bad golfers weren't allowed to drive the golf cart."

"I made it up. I thought that if I let you drive then you would drive us straight out of here."

"I just may have." Janet climbed into the driver's side of the golf cart. "Get in." Eddie loaded his clubs in the back and then climbed in the cart. "Here we go." With a grin, Janet punched the gas.

"Whoa. Take it easy." Eddie told her as he grabbed the side to keep from falling out. Janet just laughed and continued to drive. "Take a left at the fork." He instructed.

"Where are we going?"

"To the lake." Janet turned left and Eddie almost fell onto Janet. "You are never driving a golf cart again." She followed the path until she came onto the lake. "Keys. Now." Janet slowly handed the keys to Eddie and he pocketed them. "Come on." When Janet came around to his side of the cart he reached for her hand and they walked to the shore together. "Ever been on a paddle boat?"

"Never."

"You'll love it." Once they made it to the shore of the small lake, Eddie made the arrangements and the two of them were in a paddle boat, paddling around the lake ten minutes later.

"I have had a lot of fun today. Thank you Eddie."

"You really enjoyed yourself?"

"I did. Sure I was kinda bad…"

"Kinda? Babe you were horrible."

"Must you keep reminding me of that?"

"Yep."

"Well, I had fun being horrible."

"I'm glad." Eddie leaned over and kissed her. When they broke apart the two of them grinned at each other until they almost paddled into another boat. "Sorry." Eddie called.

"I never realized that you were a golfer." Janet commented. "Or a country clubber."

"The country club, that's all my parents. It's their membership and I use it occasionally when I want to golf. My dad is the big golfer. He is the one that taught me everything I know about golf. "

"Do you and your dad still golf together?"

"We do. Not as much as we used to but we try to get together at least a couple times a month."

"We dated for six months. I can't believe that I didn't know you golfed. It makes me realize that we really don't know much about each other."

"And we're changing that by starting over. What are some things or activities that you like to do?" Eddie asked.

"One activity is miniature golf and I don't suck at put-put." Eddie grinned. "I love going to museums. I love going to any live sporting event, basketball, football, baseball and hockey, especially hockey."

"You like hockey?" Eddie was shocked. He never thought Janet would be into hockey.

"Love it. Especially when the players get into fights on the ice." Eddie nodded approvingly.

"What else?"

"Let's see. I like to hike. I like to fish. I like to play softball and I love to bowl."

"Who knew you were such a tomboy?"

"I may enjoy tomboyish things but I also enjoy girly things."

"Girly things like what?"

"Getting dressed up, going to fancy dinners, plays, ballets, operas, or dancing."

"Well lucky for you, I like most of the things that you do except the getting dressed up part."

"Of course you don't like the dressing up part."

"But I would do it for you."

"I'm sure you would."

"Every spring a bunch of us play on a softball league. It's co-ed. We practice one night a week, usually on Thursday nights and our games our on Sunday evenings. Do you want to join with me this year?"

"That sounds like a blast. I would love it." Janet's heart skipped a beat when she saw Eddie's smile.

"Now continuing with learning about each other tell me something that you have never told anyone else." Eddie requested. Janet didn't respond right away. She was never the kind of person who trusted very easily but with Eddie, she knew she could trust him.

"I had a brother. My twin but he died when we were nine."

"Janet…I'm sorry."

"It happened a long time ago right before we moved here."

"What happened?"

"He had a congenital heart condition. It just didn't work. He got a transplant when he was seven but he ultimately rejected it. It's weird. We were in the same womb at the same time and I was born with a perfect heart and my brother wasn't. It's weird how life works."

"What was his name?"

"Alex…Alexander. Up until I was nine years old, Alex was my best friend. It's been lonely, I've been lonely for years and now, I'm not because of you." Janet wiped away the single tear that had fallen. "Now it's your turn. Tell me something that no one else knows."

"It's about my brother. Max is adopted."

"Really?"

"Yep. I guess I ruined my mom's insides because after I was born she was never able to have another kid and they really wanted another kid so when I was ten I finally got my brother."

"Why did it take ten years for your parents to adopt?"

"I guess that they wanted their own kid. They kept trying and mom got pregnant a few more times but she was never able to carry the baby. "

"And no one knew?"

"Well the adults in my life knew but I never told my friends that my parents were adopting a baby. Honestly, my parents didn't tell me until right before it came to be, probably because they were afraid that the adoption would fall through. One day I found out that I was going to have a brother. I told the guys "Hey, I have a brother" and their response was cool and that was that. We were ten year old boys. We the only thing that we cared about was playing."

"Wow."

"It's not the adoption that I really wanted to tell you about. That's no big deal."

"Then what?"

"It's how I felt about my brother after he was brought home. For as long as I could remember I wanted a brother but when I finally got one, I changed my mind. I was so jealous of Max. He got all of the attention that was once all mine and it just got worse when he was diagnosed."

"Diagnosed?"

"I think that Max was about six months old when he was diagnosed with Down Syndrome and when that happened Max took up all of my parent's time and I think I actually hated the kid." Janet reached out and took his hand. She could see the guilt he felt all over his face. "I've never told anyone that before."

"Eddie you were a kid. It's normal for you to feel that way."

"I know. I eventually got over it and I learned to like the kid. Hell, I love that kid more than anything. Every Sunday I take him to the park and we shoot some hoops."

"I know you love him. I can tell by the way you talk about him."

"I want you to meet them Janet."

"Meet who?"

"My family. My mom, my dad and Max. I really want them to know you."

"I would like that."

"I go over every Tuesday night for dinner. If you are off on Tuesday night I would like to bring you with me."

"I'm off on Tuesday."

"So you'll come to dinner at my parent's house?"

"I would love to."

* * *

"This was the best first date that I have ever been on." Janet told him. They were standing on Janet's porch.

"I would have to agree. I hope that it is our last first date."

"I hope that too." Janet wrapped her arms around Eddie's neck and hugged him tightly. "Thank you for a wonderful day and thank you for being here for me over the past couple of days."

"You are so very welcome." Eddie whispered. Janet pulled away from Eddie's chest and looked into his eyes.

"I love you."

"I love you too." Eddie lowered his face and kissed her slowly and deeply.

"Hmmm. You should probably go." Janet mumbled after they ended their third kiss.

"I don't wanna."

"I know." Neither of them moved.

"Am I going to see you tomorrow?"

"Probably not. I work late tomorrow."

"I don't like that."

"Neither do I but its life."

"Maybe I can stay?"

"Maybe it's not such a good idea."

"Why not?"

"Because if you walk in my front door, I may not let you walk out."

"And what would be wrong with that?" Eddie mumbled against her neck.

"Starting…over…going…slow…"

"Right." He lifted his head from her neck and pressed his lips to hers again for another long, breathtaking kiss. "All right. I'm going." Eddie announced ten minutes later when he finally pulled his lips away from Janet's.

"Yes. Go." She whispered. Eddie reached out and cupped her cheek. "Goodnight."

"Sleep well." Eddie dropped his hand slowly and walked away. "I'll call you tomorrow." He called from his truck. Janet smiled and she stood on the porch until his truck was out of sight, feeling happier than she had ever felt before.

**So if you feel like reviewing, please go ahead and do so! Thanks for reading. **


	11. Chapter 11

**I own none of the characters of October Road**

_Hey – can u check in your truck for my purse. I think I left it in there yesterday. _Eddie grinned as he read his text message. He quickly hit reply. _I didn't see it in there on my home yesterday or on my way to work. Sorry. I hope you find it. _Eddie placed his phone back in his pocket and a minute later it dinged letting him know Janet responded. _I looked everywhere and I can't find it. My keys are in my purse and I have to get to work. Maybe it fell under the seat. Would you please go check…for me? _With two simple words, for me, he was a goner. He knew he was going outside to dig around in his truck for his girlfriend's purse. _I'm going. Give me a minute._ He responded.

"Nick I need to run out to my truck for a minute. I'll be right back."

"What do you need? Maybe I got it." They were replacing the floor in a nursing home.

"Nah. Janet thinks she left her purse in my truck yesterday." Nick laughed. "What the hell is so funny?"

"Nothing. What happens if her purse is in your truck?"

"Then I spend my lunch hour taking her purse to her."

"You are whipped." Eddie smiled, knowing it was true, he would do anything for her, but he shook his head, denying.

"Whatever. " Eddie walked out of the nursing home and into to the parking lot. He was a few feet away from his truck when he saw movement out of the corner of his eye and the biggest smile crossed his face when he saw Janet step up next to her truck holding her purse in one hand and a plastic bag in the other. He couldn't be happier to see her. "I see you found your purse."

"Silly me. I had it the whole time." Janet set her purse and the other bag on the hood of Eddie's truck, took a couple steps forward and wrapped her arms around her boyfriend's neck, hugging him tightly.

"I am so glad to see you." He whispered in her hair and after a few minutes they pulled apart.

"I hope that it was okay that I came to the site. I just had a very strong desire to see you."

"I'm glad that you gave into desire. After being with you for the past three days, I really miss you."

"I brought you and Nick lunch." Janet motioned to the plastic bag on the hood. "I stopped at the deli and picked up some subs for you guys. Hannah told me what Nick likes and I got your favorite."

"You're the best." Eddie leaned down and kissed her softly and quickly, too quickly for both of them but Eddie was at work and it wouldn't be good to get caught making out with his girlfriend in the parking lot of a nursing home. "Are you joining us?"

"I can't. I need to get to work."

"Really?" She nodded. "Well that just sucks."

"Hopefully the surprise I added in addition to the subs will help."

"Peanut butter cookies?"

"Yeah. I wasn't sure if you would want them since the last time I made them was…"

"In the past Janet and we're leaving the past in the past right?" She nodded. "I refuse to let your amazing peanut butter cookies be tainted. " Eddie reached over and grabbed the bag off of the hood and dug inside until he pulled out a cookie. Janet was looking at the ground so he lifted her face up using his thumb and then he popped a cookie in his mouth. "Delicious and not one bad thought."

"Thank you."

"No. Thank you for lunch and the cookies."

"You're very welcome. " Again, Eddie leaned down and kissed her. "Are you okay?" He asked when they broke apart and Janet knew he was referring to the miscarriage, without actually saying it.

"I'm good."

"Really?" She nodded and Eddie believed her.

"I've got to go or I'm going to be late for my first day as assistant manager."

"I hope you have a great first day. I know that you will be great."

"I love you."

"I love you too babe. Call me when you have time." Janet kissed his cheek and then she was gone, leaving Eddie wearing a goofy smile that would remain on his face for the rest of the day.

* * *

Janet walked into her new office at The Johnson Inn and found a bouquet of Lilies, her favorite flowers, sitting on her desk. She grabbed the card and smiled as she read it. _Good luck on your first day manager extraordinaire. I love you. Eddie._ With a smile Janet sent Eddie a text message, thanking him for the flowers. She knew that the flowers weren't a reaction to the lunch that she brought to him. The flowers wouldn't have made it to the office before she did. She figured that he ordered the flowers soon after he woke up which meant that he had been thinking of her since he woke up like she had been thinking of him since she woke up.

Janet had never felt like this before, not even when they were dating before. She was so happy. She had never felt so loved and adored before. Maybe it was because of the three days they spent together, grieving and bonding over the loss of their child but she also felt closer to him than ever before. She was worried that Eddie would think that she was being too needy or clingy and be turned off by her demonstration today but he seemed to enjoy her ridiculous display of girlfriendeness.

"Welcome back Janet." Her boss greeted her, forcing her eyes away from the flowers and her thoughts away from the man she adored and back to reality.

"Thanks. It's good to be back."

"Are you ready for some more training?"

"Haven't I had enough?"

"You just had the basic training. Now I train you for the particulars of The Johnson Inn."

"Bring it on."

* * *

Eddie was standing in the doorway of Janet's office watching as she was getting more and more frustrated by the papers in front of her. She would cross off something, rewrite, over and over again and eventually she got so frustrated that she crumpled up the piece of paper and threw it across the room. "Looks like you could use a break." He said walking in her office.

"Hey." She smiled at him. "What are you doing here?" She stood and hugged him.

"I was hungry and thought maybe you could take a break and grab some dinner with me."

"I haven't taken my break. I've been so busy that I completely lost track of time."

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" He reached out and took her hand. "Come on." The two of them headed out to the dining room.

They enjoyed a nice casual but quick dinner because she had to get back to work. It wasn't nearly long enough for either of them. "Sorry babe, but I've got a schedule to write."

"Is that what had you so frustrated?"

"You have no idea how hard it is to write a schedule. This is my first real assignment as the assistant manager and I am on my way to screwing it up."

"You won't screw it up Janet."

"We'll see about that."

"Walk me to my truck?"

"Why?"

"Because I'm sure that you don't want your employees seeing you macking on your man."

"Good point." With a smile they walked outside and soon as the door closed behind them Janet took his hand. "Aren't you sick of me yet?" She asked.

"Not even close." Eddie pulled Janet to his chest and kissed her until they could no longer breathe. "So are we still on for dinner at my parents tomorrow or have you chickened out?"

"I haven't chickened out. Should I chicken out?"

"Nope. What time do you get off tomorrow?"

"I'm coming in at seven so I can probably get out of here between four thirty and five."

"How about I pick you up at five thirty?"

"I'll be ready." Eddie leaned down and quickly kissed her again. "Call me when you get home."

"It may be late."

"I don't care."

"Eddie."

"Just call me." He didn't want to admit to her that her voice was the last thing he wanted to hear before he fell asleep.

"All right. I'll call." Janet gave his hand a squeeze. "I gotta go. I'll talk to you later and see you tomorrow night. Thanks for coming by tonight."

"I'll come by any time you want. Have a good evening babe." Eddie stole another kiss and then watched her walk back into The Johnson Inn. He was tempted to follow her and camp out in the lobby for the rest of the night but he figured that if he did that he could be considered a stalker and Janet may not appreciate it so instead he climbed into his truck with the taste of her still lingering on his lips.

* * *

"Janet I'm here." Eddie called as he walked into her house at five thirty the next day. He couldn't wait to see her, to touch her, smell her and kiss her. It has been almost twenty four hours since he had last seen her and he was going through withdraw.

"I'm not ready." She called back. Eddie made his way to her bedroom and since the door was open he took that as an invitation to walk right in and found Janet standing in her closet wearing only jeans and a bra tossing a shirt onto the pile of shirts that were already on her bed.

"What is going on in here?"

"I have nothing to wear." She said from inside her closet.

"All evidence the contrary is on your bed."

"I'm being serious." Eddie knew she was nervous about meeting his family which was why she was freaking out. He walked over to her, trying to ignore the fact that she had no shirt on and his friend below his waist was beginning to stir. He reached out and pulled her from the closet.

"You need to relax Janet."

"I have nothing to wear and now we are going to be late because of it."

"We're not going to be late. Let's see what options that we have here." Eddie walked over to her bed and began to go through her shirts.

"I want to make a good impression. I want them to like me." Eddie tossed the shirt he was holding back on the bed, turned and pulled Janet to his chest, hugging her tightly.

"They are going to love you babe. How could they not? You are the most amazing woman that I have ever known."

"I got pregnant and we weren't even officially dating. What must they think of me?"

"They're heart breaks for you and that's it. My parents don't judge until they meet someone, like me. It's all going to be good." Using his thumb Eddie lifted her face up. "Trust me okay?"

"I trust you." She whispered. With a soft smile, he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. Her hands wrapped around his neck while his hands traveled up and down the soft skin of her practically naked back. The deeper their kiss became, the bolder his hands became. At first he just lowered the straps of her bra down off of her shoulders and it didn't take long before his hands that were just idling caressing her bare shoulders traveled down her arms, to the front where his hands cupped and caressed her breasts and Janet instinctively arched into his touch. When she moaned into his mouth Eddie pulled back.

"I gotta get out of here." He gasped. "And you need to put a shirt on. I can't stay in here when you only have a bra on. You're killing me woman."

"I didn't invite you in my bedroom while I was dressing." Eddie rolled his eyes and grabbed a shirt off the bed.

"This one is one of my favorites." He winked and tossed it to her and when he stepped out of her bedroom he shut the door. He needed as much space possible between him and her almost naked body.

Five minutes later Janet came out of her room and Eddie had managed to get his body under control. He smiled broadly when he saw that she had put the purple shirt on that he recommended. It really was one of his favorites.

"You look very pretty." He complimented her.

"Thank you." She said shyly.

"Ready?"

"As I'll ever be. Let's go."

Eddie's parent's house was only a short ten minute drive and arrived way too quickly for Janet. Her heart was racing and her palms were sweaty by the time Eddie pulled into the driveway. Eddie grinned when he saw Janet taking deep breaths. "Will you please relax?" He requested.

"I'm trying."

"They won't bite."

"Let's go." They got out of the truck and walked up to the house together. Just as they stepped onto the porch the front door flew open and Eddie's brother came bounding out.

"Get ready." Eddie whispered in warning and then he greeted his brother. "Maximillion." Eddie boomed and the two men hugged and pounded each other on the back. "Max this is …" Eddie never got to finish his sentence. Max immediately went over and hugged a shocked Janet. "All right Max. Let her go. You're going to suffocate her." Max finally pulled away from his brother's girlfriend and Janet was wearing an ear to ear grin. "Max this is my girlfriend Janet. Janet this is my doofus, overly affectionate brother Max." Janet held out her hand and Max shook it eagerly.

"It's very nice to meet you Max."

"It's nice to meet you too. Do you play checkers?" Janet laughed.

"It's been a long time. I'm not sure that I remember how."

"I can show you. I'm very good. Dad and I play every night and sometimes I win."

"I would like it very much if you showed me how to play."

"Come on." Max grabbed Janet's hand and drug her into the house.

"How about we wait until after dinner to show Janet how to play checkers?" Eddie suggested and Max looked devastated.

"All right."

"Where are mom and dad?"

"Out on the patio cooking."

"That means that we are going to have something good. Come on." Before Eddie could reach for Janet's hand Max reached out and took it, leading her to the patio. Eddie quickly realized that his brother was going to monopolize Janet tonight and he loved it.

"Mom, dad Eddie's here." Max told his parents as he pulled Janet through the patio door.

"I can see that." Judee said with a grin. "How about you give Janet a little space so your father and I can properly meet her?" Max sadly dropped his new friend's hand.

"Mom, dad, this is my girlfriend, Janet. Janet, mom and dad or Judee and Mitch." Eddie proudly introduced.

"It's very nice to meet you Mrs. Latekka." Janet could easily see where Eddie got his looks from. He was the spitting image of his mother.

"Please call me Judee and it's a pleasure to meet you. I've heard many wonderful things about you."

"Janet I'm glad you're here." Mitch told her.

"I'm glad to be here."

"I hope you like steak cause we've got lots of it."

"Steak? Really?" Eddie whined. "You never make steak when I come over. I usually get stuck with leftovers."

"Shut up. You do not." Judee told her son.

"Well I sure as hell don't get steak."

"It's a special occasion. It's the first time you have brought a girl home to meet the family."

"Janet how do you like your steak?" Mitch asked her. "Wait, you do eat steak don't you?"

"I do eat steak. I like it medium well please."

"More like barely any flavor." Eddie quipped and Max laughed.

"It's not like you are eating it so zip it." Janet told him.

"I like her." Mitch said with a grin.

"I brought dessert. I made brownies last night." Janet handed Eddie's mom the pan of brownies. "I hope it was okay."

"It's more than okay. All of the Latekka men love chocolate."

"Janet makes some amazing peanut butter cookies. They are the bomb."

"Maybe next time she can bring those." Mitch suggested.

"I will. Is there anything I can do to help?" Janet asked.

"No. I've got everything under control. My baked potatoes are baking in the microwave, my tossed salad is already tossed and my boys are getting ready to set the table while you and I get to know each other." Judee handed Eddie the pan of brownies Janet had given her.

"We are?" Eddie questioned.

"You are and if either one of you touch those brownies I will cut your fingers off." Judee threatened and Janet giggled.

"Come on Max. You heard her. Let's set the table." Eddie said to his brother. "Do you wanna beer babe?"

"I…uhhh…ummm…"Janet wasn't sure if she should drink beer in front of Eddie's parents. She did want to impress them after all.

"If you want a beer Janet drink a beer. We're all going to have one." Mitch said. He saw how nervous the poor girl was.

"In that case, I would love a beer."

"Can I have a beer?" Max asked.

"NO." Eddie, Judee and Max practically shouted.

"Come on you goof." Eddie put Max in a headlock and drug him inside the house while the three on the patio that remained, laughed.

* * *

Dinner was enjoyable for all. Janet told Eddie's family about her family, her new job and some of the adventures that she had a Sully's, especially the adventures that involved Eddie. Judee and Mitch told Janet stories of Eddie's childhood that Janet thought was quite entertaining. After they finished eating Mitch took Eddie into the den to show him what work he has been doing and they took Max with them so the girls could have some time alone and they spent their time in the kitchen cleaning up their delicious dinner.

"I wanted to tell you how very sorry that I am about your baby." Judee told her softly as they loaded the dishwasher.

"Thank you. I appreciate it."

"I hope that it was okay that Eddie told us."

"Of course it was. It was his child as well. He lost just as much as I did."

"After Eddie was born I suffered from quite a few miscarriages so I can honestly say that I know what you are going through and if you ever need to talk or vent I am here." Janet turned to Judee with tears swimming in her eyes.

"I can't tell you how much that means to me and one day I may take you up on that but right now, I seem to be doing okay."

"I can see that." Judee said with a grin. "Things seem to be going well between you and Eddie. I noticed that he introduced you as his girlfriend."

"We made the official status change in our relationship on Sunday and things are going well. I'm not sure if you know but Eddie and I dated for six months and I…I hurt him really bad and we broke up. It took us months, eight months to work things out but now we are in a really good place, better than we ever were."

"It sounds like the breakup may have been the best thing that could have happened." Judee observed.

"I couldn't see it then. I was devastated. I really hurt Eddie and I never, never thought that he would give me a second chance but he did and now our relationship is stronger than it ever was."

"You make Eddie very happy. I've never seen him so happy before."

"He makes me happy too. It hasn't even been a week that I have lost my child but I've never been happier. It makes no sense."

"Love does crazy things to us. Are you in love with my son Janet?" Any other woman may have been intimidated by that question and the intensity that Judee asked it with but Janet wasn't. Judee was a mother who wanted her son to be happy and his happiness was all that mattered and Janet understood that. She couldn't complain about Judee's questions when her father basically threatened Eddie.

"I do. I love him with everything I have."

"I can see that and I know that Eddie loves you too but I'm afraid that Eddie is going to have some competition for your heart." Confusion spread across Janet's face. She didn't think that Eddie's told his parents about what had happened between her and Rooster but she could be wrong.

"Who?" Janet managed to get out as calmly as possible.

"Max." Janet grinned. "My youngest son seems to be very infatuated with you."

"Max is absolutely adorable." This has been the first time, all evening that Max wasn't by Janet's side. Eddie couldn't even sit by his girlfriend during dinner because Max claimed the chair closet to Janet.

"He usually doesn't take to strangers but not you. He latched on to you and I can see total adoration in both of my boys' eyes." Janet smiled.

"Max is the sweetest thing. You must have had your hands full raising those two charmers."

"You have no idea. Eddie has adult charm but Max, he may be eighteen but he has the mentality of a child so Max has child charm and together those boys can charm the socks off of anyone."

"Don't I know it? I've been victim to Eddie's charm for a long time and I have seen Max's charm today."

"You're not the only one."

"Not the only one what?" Eddie inquired walking into the kitchen and over to Janet wrapping his arms around her waist from behind. Janet automatically turned and lifted her head and Eddie responded with a quick kiss.

"Janet is not the only woman to fall prey to the Latekka men charm."

"Men?"

"All the men. Where do you think the boys got their charming ways from?"

"My dad of course. How do you think he snagged mom?" The three of them laughed.

"What's so funny?" Max asked as he joined them.

"We were just talking about how awesome me, you and dad are." Eddie told his brother.

"Janet do you want to look at my baseball card collection?" Max was holding a huge album.

"Yes I would." She couldn't say no to the sweet boy. Janet stepped out Eddie's embrace.

"Can we have our brownies now?" Max asked his mom.

"In a little while. My dinner is still digesting."

"All right." Max responded sadly. Max took Janet's hand and Eddie smiled as he watched the two of them walk out of the kitchen.

"Janet is a wonderful woman Eddie."

"Yeah. She sure is." Mitch had told him how much he liked Janet and now his mom was telling him the same thing and they're approval meant a lot to Eddie. "She's really good with Max too isn't she?"

"She most definitely is and your brother has a big crush on her."

"Yeah I noticed but hell, who can blame the kid? He's got great taste."

* * *

"Eddie got me this card last week. He brings me a new card every time he comes over."

"You have a really nice collection Max."

"You're really pretty Janet." She smiled at the compliment.

"Thank you."

"Will you be my girlfriend?" Janet was pleasantly surprised at the request and the innocence from which it came.

"That's sweet of you to ask but I can't be your girlfriend because I am Eddie's girlfriend."

"Eddie can share with me. Eddie shares everything with me."

"I know he does but a girlfriend is something precious that is never shared, not even between brothers."

"I won't tell Eddie."

"I can't keep a secret from Eddie. It's part of being a girlfriend. Boyfriends and girlfriends they don't keep secrets from each other and brothers shouldn't keep secrets from each other either. Do you understand Max?"

"Yeah. I guess." Max looked heartbroken and it broke Janet's heart.

"Even though I can't be your girlfriend I would like to be your friend. Can we be friends Max?"

"Yeah. We can be friends." Eddie chose that minute to walk into the living room.

"Hey you two. Mom's got the brownies out."

"Eddie Janet is my friend." Max informed his brother.

"I can see that. Janet is a good friend to have. Come on. I want some brownies." Eddie pulled Janet up from the couch and they walked slowly behind Max. Just before they reached the kitchen, Eddie stopped walking and gently pushed Janet against the wall. "You are an amazing woman." He whispered just before he pressed his lips to hers and as Janet kissed him back, she realized that Eddie had overheard the conversation between her and Max.

* * *

"Everyone really liked you." They had returned from Eddie's parents and were snuggled together on Janet's couch sharing a beer. "Especially Max. Max really liked you."

"Of course he liked me. He asked me to be his girlfriend."

"You handled that really well. Thank you for not hurting him."

"I wouldn't dream of hurting him. He's a sweet kid."

"He gets his sweetness from his big brother."

"Of course he did." Janet took the beer out of Eddie's hand and took a sip. "Okay, I've got to ask."

"Ask what?" Eddie took the beer back from Janet.

"Your dad said that I was the first girl you had ever brought home to meet your family. Is that true?"

"It sure is."

"You dated Rory most of high school. How is it possible that she has never been to your house?"

"She's been there."

"I don't understand."

"I never asked to bring Rory over for dinner to meet my family. She just showed up. You were the only girl that I have purposely brought home."

"I'll bet that Max was head over heels in love with Rory."

"Nope. Granted he was a kid but after they met for the first time, he steered clear of her and she did the same. I think she was afraid of him because of his Down's syndrome and subconsciously I think he knew it. Every time she showed up he would hide out in his room, something Max never did and he would get so mad at me when I left the house to go out with Rory. The way the Rory acted around Max, ignoring him and acting like he had a contagious disease it really hurt him and I promised myself I would never let another girl that I was dating hurt my little brother again and that my dear is why no other woman has ever stepped foot inside my parents house, until you. I knew that you would never hurt Max and I was right."

"It means the world to me that you trusted me with your brother."

"You have a heart of gold and I knew that you would treat my brother right." Eddie placed the beer bottle on the coffee table, turned and wrapped an arm around Janet's waist and placed his other hand on her cheek. "I love you Janet."

"I love you too." Eddie slowly leaned forward, closed his eyes and softly pressed his lips onto Janet's.


	12. Chapter 12

**I own none of the characters of October Road**

"Come on Aunt Janet. I wanna golf." Timmy told his aunt.

"You need to have some patience. My boyfriend isn't here yet." Janet answered her nephew as she anxiously looked around.

"This is so stupid." Charlie complained.

"Fine. Let's go."Janet took the boys' hands and they began to walk to her jeep.

"No Aunt Janet. I don't wanna go." Charlie grumbled.

"I'm not staying here with you if all you two are going to do is complain. This is my treat for you and bratty boys don't get treats. "

"We're sorry." Timmy quickly said.

"I don't believe you." They boys seemed to think that saying sorry fixed everything.

"Really, we're so sorry." Timmy was practically in tears and Janet stopped walking and turned to the boys.

"Are you really sorry?" Both boys nodded. "Are you going to complain anymore?" This time they shook their heads. "What do you say to me for being rude and one at a time."

"I'm sorry Aunt Janet." Timmy mumbled.

"I'm sorry too." Charlie told her.

"Thank you. I appreciate it."

"Janet." She turned her head and a smile crossed her face when she saw Eddie and Max walking towards her. As soon as Max saw his friend he took off running and within seconds he was embracing Janet in a giant bear hug.

"Hi Max." Janet greeted returning his hug. Eddie had joined them by now and he yanked his brother away from his woman and then he took his turn hugging her. "Hi Eddie."

"Hi babe." Not being able to resist any longer, Eddie pulled back from their embrace and kissed her. "Oh my God. I've missed you." He mumbled.

"I've missed you too." Janet reluctantly pulled away from Eddie and turned to the other three in their party. "Max, these are my nephews, Timmy and Charlie. Timmy, Charlie, this is my friend Max." Max stuck out his hand and the boys just stared at him. "Boys, shake Max's hand." Janet demanded and the boys complied.

"It's nice to meet you." Max told them.

"You too." They mumbled.

"Do you boys remember my boyfriend Eddie?"

"You are the one who paid us to be quiet." Charlie pointed out and Janet's mouth dropped open in shock. Eddie ignored it and focused on the boys.

"Hey guys."

"Hi."

"So are we ready to play?" Max, Timmy and Charlie all nodded eagerly. "Well let's go." Eddie grabbed Janet's hand as the boys ran in front of them.

"You paid them to be quiet at Gramps' funeral?"

"I wasn't going to let them ruin it for you."

"I can't believe you did that." Janet looked at Eddie and her blue eyes were sparkling with happiness. "And thanks for doing this." Janet told Eddie as they followed behind them. "I'm sure that hanging out with my nephews is not the way you wanted to spend your Saturday afternoon."

"I'm with you and there is nothing I would rather be doing on a Saturday afternoon."

It had been eleven very long days since the two of them had spent any real quality time together. Since dinner at Eddie's parents their schedules were always in conflict. On the nights when Janet was off Eddie ended up working late and when Janet worked nights that's when Eddie was free. The weekend following the family dinner Janet worked all weekend and the following week was pretty much the same. Besides multiple, phone calls that occurred and usually went late into the night they did manage to squeeze in a couple of quick meals together at each other's jobs but it wasn't enough. It wasn't the quality of time that they both desired.

When this weekend came around they were both thrilled that they were both off work and were finally going to be able to spend time together until Janet remembered that she had agreed to watch Timmy and Charlie. It was only for a few hours while Jason and Lillian completed the final paperwork for the house that they purchased. Janet was worried that Eddie would be angry that their time together would have to be cut short…again but surprisingly he wasn't. In fact, it was his idea to treat the boys and Max, who had been asking about Janet non-stop since she came for dinner, to a game of miniature golf. Eddie was desperate so see Janet he was willing to spend an afternoon with Janet's heathen nephews.

Janet was much better at put-put golf than she was at regular golf. They all had a blast, especially Max, Timmy and Charlie. There were a couple of fights between the younger boys and Janet punished them by making them sit out one of the holes which was pure torture for them but it worked After they had to sit out they learned their lesson and they didn't fight for the rest of the time. Meanwhile, during the game, Janet and Eddie stole kisses from each other whenever they could, usually when the boys were taking their turn.

After the game ended with Max hitting a hole in one Eddie decided that they all deserved ice cream and it just so happened that there was an ice cream stand at the put-put course. "What do you say to Eddie?" Janet asked once they all had their cones in hand.

"Thank you Eddie." Timmy, Charlie and Max all said.

"You're welcome." Eddie turned to Janet. "And what do you say?"

"Thank you very much for my ice cream Eddie." Janet stood on her tip toes and gave Eddie a quick kiss.

"You my dear are very welcome." Eddie leaned down and took a big bite out of Janet's cone.

"Hey that's mine."

"I know." He answered with a grin. "So I'm starving so how about we grab some dinner at Sully's?"

"That sounds good but I have to drop the boys off first."

"Even better."

"Hey, they weren't that bad."

"No they weren't. I should probably mention that Max will be joining us for dinner. I kinda promised him that we would take you to dinner."

"What about if I would have said no? Then what would you have done?" Janet asked with a mischievous grin.

"You can't say no to me." He whispered in a seductive tone.

"Oh really?" Eddie leaned forward until his mouth was right next to her ear.

"Really." The feel of his breath on her neck gave her goose bumps and she was really disappointed that they were in public.

"We'll see about that." She responded with a shaking voice.

* * *

"Would you like to stay for dinner?" Lillian asked. Since Janet's miscarriage things had been better between the two sisters. Janet had always made the effort with her sister and was shot down and now Lillian was making the effort, calling her just to chat, something that she never did before, and she even came to The Johnson Inn once to have lunch with her sister.

"Thanks but I can't. I am meeting Eddie at Sully's for dinner. How about Thursday night? I'm off then."

"Thursday is fine." Lillian smiled at her sister. "You should bring Eddie with you on Thursday and I'll invite mom and dad."

"I'm sure he'll love that but I will bring him."

"So things are going well between you and Eddie?"

"Things are going really well. Our schedules have been crazy lately so I'm really looking forward to spending an evening with him, alone."

"I'm sorry that you had to watch the boys today but I really do appreciate it."

"Don't be sorry. We had fun."

"But I'm sure that they cramped you're style."

"Not at all. Eddie brought his brother with us. We actually did have a really good time."

"Well thanks again for bailing me out today. Now get out of here and go enjoy your night with your man."

"I plan on it." With a smile and a wave Janet was out of the door and on her way to Sully's. Thankfully the drive to Sully's was a short one because Janet was giddy with excitement about her upcoming evening. The few quick kisses that were exchanged left her wanting so much more and once they were in the privacy of one of their houses they could really give into their passion that had been building up over the last eleven days. She had just had her miscarriage follow up and her doctor declared everything normal and give her permission to return to sexual activity for about an hour after her appointment Janet seriously considered telling Eddie that she had reconsidered her idea of waiting to have sex for a couple of months but decided against it because she knew, celibacy is what their relationship needed, what she needed.

Janet walked into Sully's and she scanned the bar for Eddie and Max. Just as her eyes settled on a booth in the back where Max was sitting she felt a pair of very familiar arms wrap around her waist and the next thing she knew she was being spun around and Eddie's lips planted themselves on top of hers. "Now, that's what I'm talking about." Eddie said when they broke apart breathless.

"You can keep on talking baby." Eddie knew that was Janet's subtle way of asking for another kiss which he happily provided.

"Max and I were starving so I ordered and I got you you're regular. I hope that was okay."

"It's perfectly okay." Eddie placed his arm around Janet's shoulders and led her to the table where Max was anxiously waiting. When they got to the table Janet saw two placemats on the side of the booth that Max was sitting in and she knew that second seat was hers.

"Hi Janet." Max said happily.

"Hi Max."

"Eddie told me that you used to work here."

"I did."

"Why don't you still work here?" Janet glanced at Eddie who was sitting across from her and he reached out and squeezed her hand.

"I was just ready to move on. I didn't want to be a bartender for the rest of my life." It was part of the truth.

"Oh look. Our food is here." Eddie told them and changing the subject. Neither of them wanted to talk about the past.

"Hey Janet." Janet was at the bar getting refills and she turned when she heard her name being called and felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Hi Rooster." She moved to the side and his hand dropped. This is the first time since Hannah's engagement party that she has talked to him.

"How are you?"

"Fine." Janet was wishing that her drinks would come already.

"So I see that you and Eddie are back together. I couldn't miss the public display of affection when you walked in here. "

"I'm not really comfortable talking about my relationship with Eddie with you."

"Why not? You didn't have a problem talking to me about having sex with him." He responded. Janet grabbed Roster's arm and pulled him off to the side so they could have this conversation in private. From the corner of her eye she saw Eddie walking over to them. She gave him a slight shake of her head, letting him know that she could handle things but he stayed close by in case she needed him.

"I shouldn't have done that. In fact there are a lot of things that I shouldn't have done."

"Like sleep with me?"

"That would be at the top of my list." Janet saw the hurt that crossed her old friend's face and she felt bad but she knew that Roster needed to hear the truth. "That night never should have happened."

"Then you shouldn't have kissed me."

"There is no use playing the blame game. We are both equally to blame."

"How am I to blame? I just reacted to what you wanted."

"You are to blame because you were sober Roster. Yes, I initiated things but I was three sheets to the wind because you brought me moonshine but you were the sober one and supposedly my friend. You should have stopped me or just walked away. That's what a friend would have done."

"I was or am your friend Janet."

"No Roster you aren't my friend and I wonder if you ever were."

"What does that mean?"

"A friend would want me to be happy. Eddie made me happy and you couldn't stand it. From the moment that we started dating, you planted seeds of doubt in my mind. You took me through town to point out all of Eddie's past conquests and then insinuated that I was just another conquest. Every chance you got you would make a comment about Eddie, our relationship or a past fling that happened to be in the bar and every one of those made me doubt what Eddie and I were building and the day that Rory came back to town; that was the worst. All day long all I heard out of your mouth was the epic love story between Eddie and Rory." Janet wiped away the tears that had begun to fall. "A friend would not have done those things. A friend would have been happy for me. You took advantage of my insecurity and you took advantage of my drunken state. What were you thinking? How could you hurt me like that?"

"I never wanted to hurt you. I just wanted you to see what kind of man Eddie was before he broke your heart."

"You have no idea what kind of man that Eddie is and he didn't break my heart. I broke his with help from you."

"I won't apologize for what happened between us Janet. I don't regret it."

"I do and if you were really my friend you would regret it as well." Janet started to walk away but Roster reached out to stop her.

"You are my best friend and I miss you. Can we be friends again?"

"I'm sorry Roster but I can't be your friend again. I don't trust you and you really aren't the kind of friend that I want to have." This time she walked away from him, trying to block out the sounds of his desperate voice as he called her name.

"Are you okay?" Eddie asked when she walked up to him.

"I…I…can we just get out of here?"

"Yeah sure." Eddie took her hand, went to go get Max and the three of them left the bar.

"Janet do you want to come over to my house?" Max asked when they got outside.

"I'm sorry Max. I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because Janet and I are going to spend the evening by ourselves." Eddie answered for her.

"But…"

"Say goodbye Max. Give Janet a hug." Max did as his brother told him.

"I'll see you soon Max. I promise."

"Okay." Max turned and climbed into Eddie's truck.

"I'm going to drop Max off at home and then I'll be over if that's okay."

"That sounds perfect." Janet wrapped her arms around Eddie neck and hugged him tightly. "I'll see you soon."

After a quick kiss the two parted ways and twenty minutes later Eddie walked into Janet's house and found her on the couch with a beer in one hand and a bag of cheese puffs in the other. Her conversation with Roster was really weighing on her mind and the past was forefront in her mind. Eddie went to the fridge grabbed himself a beer and then made himself comfortable on the couch next to his girlfriend. The instant Eddie sat down Janet laid her head on his chest and he wrapped an arm around her and that's how they remained for the next thirty minutes.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" Eddie asked softly when Janet returned from the bathroom.

"What's there to say? I thought that I would feel better once I finally talked to Roster but I don't. I would have been better off just ignoring him."

"No you wouldn't. It should have happened a long time ago and it would have if you didn't run away."

"I didn't run away." She sat up and glared at him.

"I don't think that was your intention but think about it Janet, you did run away. You quit a job you loved."

"I did it for you. I quit so you could have your bar and not have to see me in it."

"I believe that was part of the reason you left but it wasn't the only reason. One reason you quit was because it wasn't comfortable being around Roster after what happened between the two of you and instead of confronting him you avoided him and eventually quit."

"The second reason?"

"Memories. The memories of what we had in that bar were too overwhelming. Those memories were why it took me as long as it took me to return to Sully's." Janet laid her head back on Eddie's chest.

"You're right. Being around Roster was just too damn uncomfortable and the memories. There were so many good memories of our relationship at Sully's and being there, it was too much for me. Everywhere I looked, I saw you and it overwhelmed me so I ran. I seem to do that pretty well don't I?" A single tear slid down her face

"Oh baby." Eddie cradled her in his arms. "You didn't run today. You finally had the long overdue confrontation with Roster that you needed."

"Did it really solve anything?"

"You tell me."

"I thought he was my friend." She mumbled into his chest.

"I'm sorry sweetheart."

"I…I…just don't understand. Every time I got to a point where I was comfortable in our relationship he would do or say something that made me doubt myself or you. Why would he do that?"

"Because he was in love with you Janet." She shook her head in denial. "He did and you were the only one who didn't see it and I think that since he couldn't be with you than no one could."

"I'm sorry Eddie. I am so sorry I let him…"

"It's over baby and he tried to get in your head today and you didn't let him. I am so proud of the way you handled the situation." Janet lifted her head from Eddie's chest, looked deeply into his eyes, leaned forward and the two of them shared a passionate kiss.

Needing more Janet climbed onto Eddie's lap, straddling his thighs so they were facing each other. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pressed her body to his and resumed kissing him. Eddie's arms immediately wrapped one arm around her waist and the other around the back of her neck. It wasn't long before their hands started wandering over the other's body removing each other's shirts in the process.

"Eddie…we…got to stop." Janet whispered breathlessly. Things were moving forward very quickly and it was confusing her. She wanted him, she wanted him bad and at the same time she was terrified to let things go further. Janet climbed off of Eddie's lap, grabbed their shirts that had landed on the floor and tossed Eddie his while she put hers back on.

"Janet you're sending me some major mixed signals. You tell me that you want to wait and then you are climbing on me, kissing and taking my clothes off and then you back off."

"I'm sorry." She mumbled.

"I'm not mad sweetheart. I'm just confused. You're mouth says one thing and you're body says another. You say that you want to take things slow and I'm okay with that as long as you aren't on top of me without a shirt. I'm willing to wait as long as you want to but you have got to make up your mind." He sounded irritated and Janet couldn't blame him. She was sending mixed messages.

"I…I…I'm so confused."

"Join the club. What's going on babe? We're good right? We're solid. In fact we are better than we ever have been so what's confusing? Do you doubt how I feel?"

"No Eddie. I don't doubt how you feel about me at all."

"So why the sexual hesitation?"

"We've haven't even been back together for two weeks and I'm afraid that if we rush it than we'll ruin what we have and I don't want to take that risk."

"Making love won't ruin us Janet. It can only make things better. Trust me."

"I do trust you but..."

"But what Janet?"

"Quit forcing me." Janet suddenly snapped. "You said that you would be willing to wait and now you're not."

"Forcing you? I'm not forcing you to do anything. You were the one on my lap taking your shirt off. You're not being fair. You say you want to wait and then you pull a stunt like you just did, get me all hot and bothered and then pull away. I am so damn tired of you pulling away from me Janet."

"Maybe you should go." Janet whispered.

"I'm not leaving. We are going to figure this out."

"Fine. Then I'll leave." Before Eddie could process what was happening, Janet was off the couch and out the door. Shaking his head in confusion, Eddie followed Janet outside and found her at her jeep, struggling to put her key in the door as the rain fell hard and fast.

"Janet, what in the hell are you doing?" He shouted over the rain.

"What does it look like?"

"Janet what is wrong?" She ignored him. "Talk to me dammit." He placed his hands on her arms and turned her to face him.

"Let me go." She yelled. By this time they were soaking wet but neither of them really cared.

"No. You are not running away from this. You are going to tell me what in the hell is going on."

"It doesn't matter." She was struggling against her but he was not letting her go.

"It matters to me." He stared her down until he saw the anger leave and her face crumbled. "Talk to me baby."

"I'm scared. Are you happy now?"

"What are you scared of?"

"The last time we had sex we got into a huge fight. I got pregnant and then lost our baby and the time before that the last time I had sex was with Roster and I broke your heart." Eddie could tell by her voice that she was crying since he couldn't tell if it was rain or tears on her face.

"Janet that…" She wasn't going to let him talk.

"Once we start having sex we'll get comfortable in our relationship and once we are comfortable with each other we'll lose what we have. We won't go on any more dates. We won't make an effort to get to know each other. We'll stop trying and just settle and eventually I'll lose you and I…I...can't lose you again. I can't." She was now sobbing in the rain. Eddie pulled Janet to his chest and wrapped his arms tightly around her, mumbling "I love you" over and over until her body stopped shaking.

"You okay babe?" She shook her head.

"I'm so damn scared." She told him and attempted to break free of his grasp but he held tight and Eddie was grateful that the rain seemed to have let up, at least for a few minutes.

"Look at me sweetheart." Janet would not raise her eyes to meet his. "Janet please look at me." She finally raised her head and looked up at him with big, blue swollen eyes. "Sex isn't going to end things between us. It can only make things better."

"But last time…"

"We made mistakes; mistakes that we learned from. I promise you right now that we will never just settle into a regular boring monotonous life. We will continue to get to know the best and worst about each other and we are going to continue to go out on dates, amazing dates Janet. We are not going to grow stale. Together, we will keep things fresh between but I can't do it on my own. Relationships are hard work and this is something that we have to do together. Are you willing to work with me?"

"I want this…our relationship more than anything Eddie. I will do anything. I love you…more than anything…and I…I…don't want to lose you."

"You're not going to lose me Janet."Suddenly the sky opened up again and the rain began to come down heavy and hard. "I love you Janet. Do you hear and believe me? "Eddie shouted so he could be heard over the rain. He saw her nod and say something but he couldn't hear her. "What?" He yelled.

"I believe you." She shouted. "And I love you too." Eddie placed both hands on Janet's cheeks and kissed her with more passion than ever before and standing in her driveway, in the pouring rain sharing a kiss with the man she loved, more than she ever thought possible, Janet had never felt more loved before.


	13. Chapter 13

**I own none of the characters of October Road**

The thunder boomed, the lighting flashed, and the rain fell around the couple kissing in the driveway but they didn't even acknowledge it. They were so involved with each other that nothing could have pulled them apart. They both knew what the multiple kisses they were sharing was leading to and neither of them was going to walk away and Janet wasn't scared. She was more than ready to take the next step in their relationship.

Without taking their lips off of each other Eddie and Janet slowly began making their way inside. Occasionally, Eddie would open his eyes so he could see where they were going but for the most part their journey had lots of bumps and stumbles. Janet was the one walking backwards and when the back of her calves hit the porch steps she fell down, taking Eddie with her. "Umph." She grunted when Eddie landed on top of her.

"Are you okay?" Eddie panted.

"I'm fine." Eddie started to stand up but Janet reached out, pulled him back down on top of her and they resumed kissing until lying on the porch steps became too uncomfortable for Janet's back. "Let's take this inside." Janet said ten minutes later as she pushed Eddie up.

"I like that idea." Eddie stood, pulled Janet to her feet and this time they managed not to kiss until both of their feet were planted firmly on the porch and then at that point Janet wrapped her arms around his neck and resumed kissing him as she pushed him towards the door. Eddie had one hand around her waist and the other hand outstretched behind him so he would know when they came into contact with the door. When they did hit the door Janet pushed him against the house.

"I love you." She told him as she kissed his neck. "I love you so much." Eddie started to respond but Janet never gave him the chance because she crushed her lips to his again. Of course Eddie responded to the kiss but he also stepped to the side so he could open the door. He had to get them inside the house before he exploded. After multiple attempts Eddie finally got the door opened and the two of them stumbled into the house. Janet kicked the door closed with her foot and continued to push Eddie forward until the fell onto the couch, kicking their shoes off as they went.

"I was hoping that this would be happening in your bed." He told her in between kisses.

"Don't worry. We'll get there." With a wink Janet sat back on her heels, pulled her shirt over her head, tossed it on the floor. She reached out, pulled Eddie up and his shirt quickly joined hers on the floor. When she reached behind her to unhook her bra Eddie reached out and placed his hands on her arms.

"Are you sure about this babe?" God, he hoped the answer was yes.

"I'm ready. I'm not scared. I want to make love to you." With that being said she removed her bra, dropped it on the floor and was pushing Eddie back onto the couch.

"Janet." He groaned as her breasts hit his chest. He had missed being this close to Janet. As the two of them kissed, he ran his hands up and down her back, relishing the feeling of her soft skin under his rough hands. When Eddie's hand slid to her butt Janet yelped and jumped in surprise causing her to lose her balance and fall to the fall, taking Eddie with her. Janet landed on her back and it knocked the breath out of her for an instant and Eddie knocked his head on the floor. After their shock wore off they looked at each other and burst out laughing. Eddie laid his head on Janet's breasts and Janet placed her hands on the back of Eddie's head until their laughter finally subsided.

"Oh my God. My stomach hurts." Janet said with a smile.

"Can we please go to your bed so we don't have any more accidents?" Eddie begged.

"I think that's a really good idea." Eddie pulled himself up off of the floor and Janet, and then he pulled her to her feet.

Once they were in her bedroom Janet wasted no time in removing her wet jeans and underwear and then she went to work on Eddie's pants. "Be careful." He mumbled through gritted teeth. He was so painfully hard for her that he figured that one simple touch would cause him to explode.

"I promise to be gentle." She told him with a smirk. Very slowly she peeled off his soaking wet jeans and boxers. The second his boxers hit the floor Eddie pulled Janet to her feet and the tumbled to the bed. Since she was squatting in front of him and he knew what she was thinking and right now he didn't want her mouth around him. He wanted to be inside of her. In one swift movement he had Janet on her back.

"You are so beautiful." He whispered as he hovered over her. He easily spread her legs apart with his knee.

"Wait." Janet suddenly insisted. She gently pushed him away from her and Eddie fell onto his back and sighed in frustration.

"Dammit Janet. I can't keep doing this. We talked about this and…" Janet placed a finger over his lips.

"I'm not backing out. We need a condom." She kissed him sweetly and then rolled over to her nightstand.

"Thank God." He mumbled. "Why do we need a condom? You told me you started back on the pill."

"I've only been back on the pill for a couple of weeks and the doctor told me that for the first month we have to use additional protection until the hormones build up in my system. " Janet rolled back over and sat up on her knees. "And we don't want any accidents now do we?"

"No we don't." Janet ripped the condom open and rolled it onto Eddie's penis. "Oh…God…" Eddie groaned.

"Sit up against the headboard. " Janet demanded and Eddie instantly complied. "Now stretch your legs out in front of you but make sure that they are together."

"Yes ma'am." Eddie was loving this side of Janet. The last time she dated she hadn't been anywhere near this confident in their sexual relationship but tonight, she was a confident, sexual woman and Eddie was in heaven.

Once Eddie was in the position she wanted him in, she sat back and let her eyes travel over his naked body. He was absolutely gorgeous and he was all hers. "Please baby, I can't hold out much longer." Eddie begged.

With a sexy smile, Janet moved herself into the position she wanted to be in. As she adjusted her legs on either side of his hips, Eddie reached out and placed his hands on her naked hips, to help her. Closing her eyes Janet leaned forward, kissed his lips and slowly slid on top of his erection until she was filled to the hilt. "Oh my God." Eddie hissed tearing his lips away from Janet.

"You like baby?"

"Hell yeah but I will like it a lot more once you start moving." He grunted as he pushed his hips, pushing him in a little further.

"As you wish." Placing her hands on his shoulders Janet began to move herself on his shaft, groaning happily at the feeling of their coupling. The hands that were on her waist began to roam over her upper body, feeling everything that he possibly could before they settled on his favorite part of her naked body, her breasts. He was such a boob man. He loved the way Janet's breasts felt and they fit perfectly in his hands. He loved to run his calloused thumbs over the soft skin and he loved the feel of her nipples under his fingers and Janet loved that he loved her breasts. Her breasts were super sensitive and whenever Eddie's hands were on them, it heightened her pleasure.

As Janet rode him, she kept her hands on his shoulders for stability and her eyes on him. She was enthralled with the way he looked when he made love to her. His face had a mixture of intensity, joy and love and it made him so much sexier than he was on a daily basis. While Janet watched him Eddie alternated between watching her face and breasts. He was fascinated with the way her breasts moved and bounced as she moved but her face is what really kept his attention. She was beautiful all the time but something about her face when they made love made her even more beautiful, something he never thought possible.

When Janet shuddered through her orgasm, Eddie was barely hanging on. He needed it faster and harder so in one swift movement he switched their positions and Janet was on her back wearing and ear to ear grin because she knew what the change in positions meant. "Are you ready for this babe?"

"Show me what you got Latekka." Janet teased and Eddie surged into her making her yelp in pleasure.

"You like that?" Eddie was on his knees, holding Janet's hips up in the air so he could go even deeper and Janet could only groan in response. "I'll take that as a yes." Janet wrapped her legs around his lower back, locking her ankles together and now Eddie was the one to groan. He thrusted into her with everything he had and when he felt her begin to clench around him, he knew she was ready. "Come on baby. Let it go." Eddie had to slow down because he was about to blow and he needed to watch Janet experience her pleasure. He loved watching her cum. He loved the way she fell apart in front of him. As soon as those words were out of Eddie's mouth, Janet lost control of her body and wailed in pleasure and Eddie followed a couple of thrusts later.

"I do believe."Janet kissed Eddie's bare, sweaty belly. "That was." Now she kissed each nipple. "The best." Next, her lips found their way to his neck. "Sex we have ever had." She finished her sentence with a soft kiss on his lips and then she settled her head on his chest.

"I agree sweetheart." Eddie kissed the top of her head. "In fact I think every time we make love it gets better." Janet sat up on her elbow and grinned.

"Maybe we should test that theory."

"Trust me babe we will but first we need to talk about what happened tonight." Eddie pulled himself into a sitting position, leaning back against the headboard and Janet sat up and scooted next to him.

"I know we do."

"We are in a relationship Janet. I love you and I'm not going anywhere. You need to understand that."

"I really do."

"Part of being in a relationship is talking to each other; sharing happy things and things that scare us."

"I know that."

"Then why in the hell didn't you talk to me about being scared to make love?"

"I was afraid."

"Of what?"

"I told you that I'm no good at this whole relationship thing but I am trying Eddie."

"I know you are babe so let's keep trying. Why were you scared to talk to me?"

"The same reason why I didn't talk to you the last time we gave this a try. I'm scared that I will lose you."

"Janet you can't lose me if you talk about your feelings. That's what adults in relationships do but you may lose me if you don't talk." Janet bit her lip and looked at her lap.

"I'm sorry." She mumbled and Eddie lifted her face back up.

"Don't be sorry. Just don't let it happen again. You can't bottle up your feelings and then push me away when I try to get you to talk. You can't force me to leave or leave yourself and force me to chase after you when you don't want to talk about something. I can't live like that Janet." In an instant tears filled Janet's eyes.

"Don't leave me. Please Eddie." She was suddenly terrified that he was breaking up with her.

"I'm not going anywhere baby."

"But you said that you can't live like this."

"I can't live with you keeping a part of yourself bottled up inside. I know that I broke your heart and…"

"I'm the one who did the heart breaking, not you."

"You broke my heart but I broke yours when you saw Rory and I kissing so I know that deep down you are afraid that it's going to happen again aren't you?" She nodded slowly.

"In my life when something seems too good to be true than it usually is. Eddie you are too good to be true. What we have is too good to be true and I'm terrified that we are going to fall apart." Eddie leaned over and wiped the tears from Janet's cheeks.

"Sweetheart, what we have is solid things don't fall apart easily. Now of course any solid structure needs maintence so it can stay solid."

"Are you comparing our relationship to a building?" She asked with a small smile.

"Maybe." Eddie laughed. "The maintence of our relationship is talking things through so we don't fall apart. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"I do."

"I love you Janet and I'm not going anywhere. I need you to believe me cause if you don't…if you don't then what in the hell are we doing here? What are we trying to build?" Eddie asked softly.

"I do believe you Eddie." She answered with a shaking voice. When Eddie looked over at Janet he saw tears falling from her eyes. "But…"

"But what sweetheart?"

"I don't believe in myself." Janet sat up and wiped her tears. "There is always a voice in my head telling me that I'm not good enough for you; that I don't deserve you." Eddie turned so he was facing Janet who was looking down at her lap. He lifted her head up so she was looking at him.

"I don't like that voice very much." In spite of her tears Janet managed to smile.

"I don't either."

"Tell it to shut up."

"I've tried."

"Try harder babe. The doubt that you are feeling, I get that, especially considering what happened between us but that's not who we are this time around. We are better people because of the mistakes that we made in the past. I think that if you can get out of the past and focus on the present then that annoying voice will go away."

"The voice has been pretty quiet lately but today, after seeing Roster that voice of doubt started screaming at me."

"Makes sense" Eddie told her. "You finally confronted Roster about that night."

"And it brought the past to the present so how in the hell can I keep the past where it belongs when it's all over the present." Janet snapped, turning away from Eddie. He quickly turned his body and scooted to the edge of the bed so he was sitting right next to her. He reached out and took her small hand in his larger one.

"Okay. You're right. Some parts of the past will always be in the present and we can't ignore that."

"So what the hell am I supposed to do Eddie? You tell me that I should leave the past in the past and then you tell me that the past is always in the present. I hate, absolutely hate myself and will never forgive myself for sleeping with Roster, never and because of that I don't want to think about the past let alone talk about it but you want me to talk and if I don't talk you'll break up with me so tell me Eddie, what in the hell am I supposed to do? I love you so much and I don't want to lose you."

"I understand that you don't want to talk about that night. I don't want to talk about that night and I don't want you to talk about that night but there are some things that you can't keep bottled up. Like tonight for example; you had valid reasons for not wanting to make love but you bottled up those reasons up and lied about it by giving me all kinds of reasons expect the true, honest ones. You would push the limits, getting us both all hot and bothered and then you would back off, leaving me in a very uncomfortable position."

"I'm sorry."

"I know you are but I just need to point out that as a girl, it's a lot easier for you to walk away from sex. You just have to deal with sticky underwear but me on the other hand; I have to deal with a very uncomfortable hard on."

"You sure do put up with a hell of a lot from me." Janet mumbled softly, rubbing the hand that was holding hers with her thumb. "Why?"

"Because I love you babe." Without releasing her hand he bent down and kissed her softly. "Let's just promise each other that we will talk to each other about everything." Janet raised her eyebrows. "Everything but not in excruciating detail. Just remember that no matter what it is that is going on inside of that gorgeous head of yours, I'm not going anywhere."

"Promise?"

"I promise Janet. "

"I promise that I'm going to try and communicate better with you. Communication isn't one of my strongest traits."

"Communication seems to be one of your very good traits. I can remember quite a few times before we dated that you told me exactly what was on your mind." He told her with a wink.

"That was pre-relationship. I had great communication skills when we were just friends but all of that changed when we became more than friends. Communication is much more difficult in an intimate relationship then in a friendship and apparently I'm horrible with intimate relationship communication but I'm going to get better, I promise I'll get better. Just please; don't give up on me Eddie. Give me time to improve." Eddie could see the fear in her eyes.

"I'll never give up on you as long as you keep trying. That's all I'm asking for babe."

"I am the luckiest girl in the world to have you loving and believing in me."

"And I always will."

"I love you." Janet softly whispered as her lips met his in a slow, sweet kiss that continued until Eddie's stomach growled with hunger. Janet pulled away from Eddie with a grin. "Really? You're hungry?"

"Starving."

"We just ate a few hours ago." Eddie shrugged his shoulders.

"What can I say? I'm a growing boy. Is there anything in your fridge that you can feed me?"

"Let's go find out."

Since working at The Johnson Inn Janet hadn't been keeping up with her grocery shopping simply because when she was working she ate most of her meals at work since it was free. If she wasn't working than she and Eddie would go out to eat and if they weren't together Janet usually just picked up something on the way home or she brought something home from work. Since Janet's fridge was empty the two of them ordered a pizza which was delivered by none other than Pizza Girl and now the two of them were sitting on the couch eating pizza.

"Do you have any plans for tomorrow?" Janet asked.

"Not really. I hadn't given it much thought."

"Well don't give it anymore thought because we are going to a game."

"Sox?" Eddie asked with a mouthful.

"What other game is there to watch this time of year?"

"You are the best girlfriend ever." Eddie said with a grin.

"Just remember that when you hear what I have to say next." Eddie tossed a half eaten piece of pizza back in the box.

"Should I be worried?"

"Maybe a little."

"Spill."

"It's your turn to experience a family dinner with my family."

"Excuse me?"

"Thursday night; dinner at Lillian's with my mom and dad in attendance."

"You've got to be kidding me." He grumbled.

"Remember, best girlfriend ever."

"You're lucky that I love you."

"Don't I know it?"

"I guess I can manage one night with your family. It won't kill me."

"Hopefully not." Janet said with a grin and Eddie couldn't help but smile.

"Well since you have made plans for us for Thursday then I should probably tell you that I have already made plans for us for Friday night."

"Oh really?"

"I made us reservations for us at the damn French restaurant you wanted to go to."

"Liar. You just made that up."

"Nope. Friday night, 7:15." Janet's eyes lit up.

"Really?"

"Yep. I made reservations for four."

"Four?"

"Me, you, Nicky and Hannah. You can finally have the double date you have always wanted."

"You're not going to punch Nick out before then are you?"

"I'm not planning on it. I'm not ruining this for you a second time." Janet couldn't contain her excitement. She through her arms around him and hugged him tightly.

"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you."

"You are very welcome." Just as Eddie leaned forward to kiss her Janet pulled away, off of the couch and disappeared into her bedroom, returning a minute later with a condom in her hand.

"I would like to show you just how happy I really am. Do you have any objections if I have my way with you?"

"Not a one." Janet walked over and straddled his lap. His tee-shirt that she was wearing rode up her thighs as did Eddie's hands. "Have your way with me dear."

* * *

The Sunday afternoon baseball game in Boston was perfect. The weather was great. The Red Sox won and Janet and Eddie had blast. In between cheering for their team, the two of them had time to talk and continue to get to know more about each other. It was the perfect date and Eddie was so glad Janet had arranged it.

"Man I really need to go to the grocery store." Janet said from inside the fridge after they got home from the game. "I don't have a damn thing in here to eat."

"How does chicken sound? I'll run and pick some up." Eddie suggested.

"Do you mind? I promise that I'll make it to the store this week."

"I don't mind. I've got to stop at the drugstore anyway to pick up some more condoms since we used up your supply" Eddie quickly kissed Janet. "I'll be back shortly."

Janet couldn't wipe the smile off of her face that had been there since she woke up this morning. Since their talk the night before, Janet felt that their relationship was stronger or more solid as Eddie put it and she now knew that she could talk to Eddie about anything without the fearing that he would leave her.

When Eddie mentioned stopping and picking up condoms he stomach began flipping in anticipation of using those condoms. Last night after their talk, they made love twice more and then talked into the wee hours of the morning. When they woke up this morning, naked and wrapped in each other's arms they wasted no time in using the last condom. A sudden knock at the door caused Janet to jump. With a grin she went to open the door.

"The door isn't locked." Janet said opening the door but Eddie wasn't the one standing on the other side. "Mrs. Russo. This is a surprise." Janet said to Roster's mother. "I…uhhh…would you like to come in?"

"Vincent is dead." Maggie Russo mumbled.

"What?" Janet shook her head. "What happened? Was there an accident?"

"He…" Maggie had to take a deep breath. "He swallowed a handful of sleeping pills. He committed suicide." Janet clamped a hand over her mouth. Maggie held out an envelope with a shaking hand. "He left this for you." Janet reached out and took the envelope from Maggie and as soon as she saw her name scrawled across the front in Roster's handwriting tears instantly filled her eyes. "I didn't read the letter."

"I…I'm so sorry." Janet whispered.

"You were his best friend. He truly loved having you in his life. Thank you for being his friend." Janet could only nod. "The funeral is scheduled for Wednesday at eleven at Marley Funeral Home. Will you be there?"

"Yes. Of course." Janet answered blinking her eyes to keep the tears back. "Is there anything that I can do?"

"You have done enough by being Vincent's friend. I will see you on Wednesday." Maggie Russo abruptly turned and walked away. Janet shut the door and raced to the bathroom to vomit, dropping the letter on the floor as she went.

She couldn't believe that Roster was dead by his own hand and it was her fault, she knew it. She took her friendship away from Roster, a friendship he clearly depended on, and the next day he was dead and that meant that his death was her fault. Janet felt horrible that Roster was dead but what made the entire situation worse was what his mother actually thanked her for being Roster's friend. She should have just thanked her for killing her son because essentially, that's what she did.

Pulling herself off of the bathroom floor, she brushed her teeth and returned to the living room, picking up the letter off of the floor as she went. She sat on the couch and held the letter in her hand as tears fell from her eyes.

_**I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Sorry it's not completely fluffy. I had to have some angst. **_


	14. Chapter 14

**I own none of the characters of October Road**

"Hey honey. I'm back." Eddie called as he stepped through Janet's front door. He almost said that he was home and he really wished at this moment that they did live together but he knew, in time, they would become a reality.

"In here." She called from the kitchen. With a smile, he went to join his girlfriend.

"I hope that you're hungry. There was a sale on the chicken. I got ten pieces, four biscuits, and a pint of coleslaw for ten bucks. Can you believe it?" Eddie was extremely proud of himself for the deal he had found.

"I'm starved." Her back had been towards him since he walked into the kitchen and she finally turned around, walked over to him and hugged him tightly.

"Hey what's this for?" He asked as he returned the hug. "Not that I am complaining." She pulled back and looked into his eyes. She had washed her face so there was no evidence of her earlier tears.

"I love you and being with you is the best choice that I have ever made."

"I feel the same way sweetheart." Janet pulled Eddie's face down to hers and she kissed him softly.

After they broke the kiss Janet unloaded the food and filled two paper plates with food. Since it was early evening and the weather was nice, they decided to take their dinner outside on the deck. Eddie turned on the radio and they enjoyed a quiet dinner together.

"I need to talk to you babe." Janet told him after they finished eating. Eddie noticed that she had been quiet during dinner and he decided to wait it out and see if she would initiate a conversation, which he hoped that she would, considering their conversation the day before.

"What's up?"

"Roster." Eddie rolled his eyes. He really hated that guy.

"What happened? Did he call? Did he show up after I left? I swear to God, I'm going…"

"He's dead Eddie." Eddie was momentarily stunned.

"Huh?"

"Roster is dead. He committed suicide." Eddie took a minute to study Janet before he responded.

"It's not your fault Janet."

"Yes it was." Janet pulled out the letter Roster wrote to her and slid it across the table. "This proves it."

"A letter? He wrote you a letter?"

"He did."

"May I?" She nodded and Eddie slowly opened the letter.

_Dear Janet, _

_If you are ready this letter then I am no longer alive. The night that we made love; I don't regret it and I never will. It was the best night of my life. It was magical but apparently it wasn't magical for you. I have loved you, and not as a friend, for so long and I know that we could have been great together but you wouldn't even give us a chance. What do you see in that moron Latekka? What can he offer you that I can't? I know you better than he ever will. You know where you stand in my life. Can you say the same about Eddie? Do you know where you stand in his life? Will you ever feel comfortable in his life? I don't think that you will. _

_Maybe I could deal with the fact that you are with Eddie if you were still my friend but you took our friendship away and I can't live with that. We have been friends since we were ten years old. You have been a constant presence in my life and this last year, since you walked out of my life has been the loneliest of my life and I can't continue to endure the loneliness. _

_I wrote this to say goodbye. I can't continue to live without my best friend. I can't stand to see Eddie with his hands on you. I can't stand to see with your hands on him. You are the best person that I know Janet. Eddie doesn't deserve you. You are too good for him. I can't stand by and watch him break your heart again because it will happen. You deserve to be happy and I know that you could have been happy with me. I'm sorry that we will never know what we could have been. _

_Thank you for being my best friend. Please don't ever forget me. I love you. _

_Roster_

Eddie was tempted to crumple the letter up and burn it. If Roster wasn't already dead, he would go kill him for writing such a letter. Who does that? Eddie shook his head in disgust and handed the letter back to Janet who by this time had tears running down her face.

"See it's my fault that he is dead." She stood and went into the house. Eddie followed her and found her in the living room.

"Roster's suicide is not your fault sweetheart." He told her as he sat next to her on the couch that had seen its fair share of tears and heartache.

"Did you read the letter or just skim through it? The letter clearly states that Roster killed himself because of me."

"This letter is bullshit Janet. Total bullshit."

"No it's not bullshit Eddie. Its how he felt. How can that be bullshit?"

"Sure, there are some feelings in there but the majority of it is crap. I don't like to speak ill of the dead but Roster was an asshole for writing you a letter like that." He reached out, wiped away her tears with his thumb and then took her free hand in his own. "This was not your fault babe. Roster, he was an obviously sick man. You cannot blame yourself." He told her softly.

"It is. I should have known." She whispered as her tears continued to fall.

"You couldn't have known."

"I knew him for years. I should have known what not being his friend anymore would do to him. I should have known." Janet's crying increased so Eddie pulled her to his chest and held her.

"There is no way you or anyone could have predicted this." She never answered him. She may not have heard him. She was just tried to get her crying under control.

"Oh God." She whispered a few minutes after she calmed herself down. She pulled her head off of Eddie's chest and looked at him with fresh tears swimming in her eyes.

"Honey?"

"Oh God." She repeated as she ran to the bathroom and a minute later, Eddie heard her vomiting. By the time he got to the bathroom he found her sitting on the floor, resting her head on the toilet lid. He sat beside her and took her hand. "He was taking a handful of pills to kill himself while we were having sex last night." She sobbed. She couldn't control it. She was overwhelmed with feelings of heartache, anger and guilt and the only thing she could do was cry and frankly, it infuriated Eddie that Roster had made Janet feel like that.

"Look at me." Eddie demanded sternly and Janet slowly lifted her head and looked at him. "DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT feel guilty for making love last night. You didn't know what was going to happen."

"But I should…"

"Knock it off. " Janet glared at him but he continued. "Did he call you and tell you that he was going to swallow a handful of pills?" She shook her head. "Then there is no way that you could have known. There was nothing that you could have done to stop him Janet."

"Why Eddie? Why?"

"He was sick honey."

"I never wanted this to happen."

"I know sweetheart. No one did." Eddie couldn't stand the guy and even he wished things were different.

An hour later, Janet had calmed down and had come to understand, with Eddie's help that there was nothing that she could have done to save Roster but it didn't stop her from feeling guilty but now, she felt slightly less guilty and Eddie knew that it would be awhile before the guilt wore off. They were sitting on the couch, cuddling when Janet's phone rang. Janet reluctantly pulled out of Eddie's embrace to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Janet, this is Maggie Russo."

"Hi Mrs. Russo." When Eddie heard that he looked at Janet with concern.

"I'm sorry for calling you but I am planning Vincent's funeral and I have a question for you that I meant to ask you earlier. "

"Okay." Janet said uncertainly.

"Would you give a eulogy during the funeral?"

"A eulogy?" Eddie shook his head and Janet turned away from him.

"Vincent really cared for you. You were his closest friend."

"I don't know."

"Say no." Eddie whispered loudly.

"Janet it would mean so much to me and I know that Vincent would want it."

"I'll do it."

"Thank you so much. "

"You're welcome. Goodbye Mrs. Russo."

"Are you freaking kidding me Janet?" Eddie asked as she hung up the phone.

"What?"

"Did you seriously just agree to give a eulogy at Roster's funeral?"

"You heard my side of the conversation."

"Why?"

"He was my friend." She mumbled.

"Open your eyes Janet. He was not your friend." Eddie shouted. "A friend wouldn't commit suicide and blame you for his weakness in a goodbye letter. He is trying to make you doubt our relationship from the grave. A friend would see that you are happy and then support your happiness, not try to knock our relationship down a few pegs."

"Stop yelling at me." Janet yelled.

"No I won't because maybe yelling is the only way that you will freaking hear me." He shouted back. Roster is not your friend. He stopped being your friend the night that you two slept together. For crying out loud, with his dying breath he says that he didn't regret that night, the night that ruined your friendship with him and our relationship. If you weren't with him, if you didn't love him in return then he wasn't happy and in turn your friend didn't want you to be happy. He wasn't your friend Janet. He was a selfish bastard."

"Shut up." She screamed. "He is dead for God's sake."

"Call her back." Eddie lowered his voice. "Call her back and tell her that you aren't doing it."

"Who in the hell do you think you are telling me what to do? I am a grown woman who is capable of making my own decisions. You cannot tell me what to do."

"You don't have the best track record when it comes to making decisions do you Janet?" She flinched upon hearing his words and Eddie instantly felt bad.

"Asshole." She muttered.

"Fine. I'm not telling you; I'm asking you not to give the eulogy. He doesn't deserve it."

"No." The two of them stood in the middle of the living room, glaring at each other.

"Why Janet? Tell me why?"

"He was my friend."

"Was Janet. He WAS your friend. You haven't been friends for a year. You don't get eulogies for people that aren't your friends." He sighed. "I'm outta here." He told her.

"I think that's an excellent idea." Eddie walked away from Janet, grabbed his keys and stormed out of the house, slamming the door behind him.

* * *

It was eleven o'clock and Eddie was in his room, on his bed thinking about Janet. The television was on but Eddie wasn't watching it. He hadn't heard from Janet in hours, not since he stormed out of her house. He was mad, she was mad but they needed to talk. He couldn't go to sleep without at least attempting to work this out. Just as he picked up his cell phone his bedroom door opened.

"Dammit Phyz. You just can't..." Eddie didn't finish his sentence because it wasn't Phil that barged into his room, unannounced. It was Janet. "I was just getting ready to call you."

"I tried to go to sleep but I couldn't. I didn't want to go to sleep being angry."

"Same here. That's why I was calling you. Come sit with me." He scooted over and Janet took the spot that he had vacated.

"I'm sorry." They both said at the same time.

"You first." Eddie offered.

"You were right. I'm not giving the eulogy."

"You're not?" Eddie was surprised.

"After you left I thought about what you had said; mainly about the fact that Roster and I weren't friends and you were right. We hadn't been friends for a long time and because of that I shouldn't be the one to give the eulogy. I just couldn't see that through my guilt and grief."

"Did you tell Roster's mom?"

"I did."

"What did you tell her?"

"I told her that I wasn't comfortable speaking in front of crowds."

"You lied?" Eddie raised his eyebrows.

"I'm really not a huge fan of public speaking so technically I didn't lie. I couldn't tell her the whole truth. She just lost her son and she thinks that he had a best friend that cared for him, that loved him. Her heart is already broken and I couldn't break it anymore by telling her the truth. She doesn't deserve that. She needs to remember her son happy, not alone and miserable."

"You are a wonderful woman Janet."

"I talked Sully into giving the eulogy."

"That man has a soft spot for you." Janet smiled softly at him.

"Are you going to the funeral?"

"I am. Will you go with me?" He shook his head.

"I'm sorry but I can't. I don't like Roster. I never did and I like him even less now than I did before. I can't go to his funeral, pretending otherwise. His family doesn't deserve that."

"I understand." And she did. She wished that he would go with her because his support would really be nice but she understood why he wouldn't go and she didn't blame him.

"Okay now it's my turn. I'm sorry babe. I shouldn't have yelled at you."

"No you shouldn't have."

"You just infuriate me some times. I know that you are hurting because of Roster's death and you should hurt because you guys had a relationship for years and what he did to you while he was alive was bad enough but what he wrote in his letter that was ridiculous. He was sabotaging our relationship, making you doubt what we have and he blamed you for his suicide and the fact that you were willing to say good things about him at his funeral, it pushed me over the edge and for that I am very sorry."

"You're wrong." She told him.

"I am?"

"That letter didn't sabotage anything. He didn't make me doubt our relationship. I know exactly where I stand in your life and I am confident in your feelings for me. I know, without a doubt that you love me and I hope that you know that I love you just as much."

"I know that and I should have had more faith in you."

"A few months ago, that letter would have affected our relationship. I would have had doubts about us but I'm stronger than I used to be."

"I can see that." He said proudly. "His letter didn't affect you but you blame yourself for his death don't you?"

"I do and no matter what you say I will always blame myself. I know that there was nothing I could have done to stop it. I know and understand that now but Eddie he took those pills because I ended our friendship. Sure, I stopped talking to him after we slept together but I didn't officially end our friendship until yesterday and when I told him that we could no longer be friends, it sent him over the edge. Do I regret that I ended our friendship, no but I regret what it caused?"

"Babe…"

"If I wouldn't have told Roster that we were no longer friends then he never would have swallowed those pills. It's that simple. I blame myself but I don't feel guilty. I had to do what needed to be done because it was best for me and there was no way I could have predicted the outcome."

"I see where you are coming from and I agree with what you just said but I don't agree with the fact that you blame yourself. If you would have shoved the pills down his throat and forced him to swallow them, then yeah, you could blame yourself but you didn't Janet. Roster made the choice to swallow the pills. You can't blame yourself sweetheart." Eddie sighed. "But like you said, no matter what I say, you're going to blame yourself. You I know how you feel and you know how I feel and I'm not going to bring it up again. I don't want to argue with you about it so from this point on, I'm not going to bring it up. This will be one of those things that we will agree to disagree on."

"I appreciate that."

"There is something else that I need to apologize for." He took her hand in his own. "I'm sorry for what I said about how you don't make the best decisions. I know I hurt you with that comment."

"You did. Are you going to bring up my past, my bad decisions every time we have a fight because that won't work for me? You told me that the past was just that, the past and it would stay there but during our first fight you bring up the past. That was so not cool Latekka."

"I wasn't thinking. I was just so mad that I didn't think and said whatever popped into my head."

"Is that going to happen every time we fight?"

"Never again. If we fight again, I'm going to think before I speak, no matter how mad you make me."

"How mad I make you? What about how mad you make me?" Eddie grinned and leaned his forehead against hers.

"Do you forgive me?" Janet reached up and cupped his cheek.

"Yes Eddie. I forgive you."

"Thank God." Eddie turned his head and the two of them shared a slow, sweet kiss.

"I hate fighting with you. Let's not do it anymore." Janet mumbled as Eddie's placed kisses over her face.

"I don't like fighting with you either but now…"Janet pulled back.

"Now what?"

"Protocol states that after a fight and both parties make up then make up sex follows to officially end the fight."

"I don't want to mess with protocol."

"I was hoping you would say that." Eddie pulled away and went and locked his bedroom door. "I love you." He said returning to the bed.

"I love you too." Eddie leaned forward and began to kiss her. Slowly their shirts ended up on the floor and they fell back onto the bed.

"Dammit." Eddie suddenly groaned pulling away from Janet and sitting up.

"What?" Janet asked.

"I don't have any condoms here." Janet sat up on her elbow and grinned.

"Eddie Latekka doesn't have condoms in his bedroom? What is the world coming too?"

"There hasn't been a woman in my bedroom for a very long time. In fact the last woman in here, in my bed…"

"I don't want to hear this."

"Was you and the last time you were in this bed, we weren't using condoms." Janet leaned over the bed and grabbed her purse. "Babe, it's after eleven and there aren't any stores opened." He assumed she was getting money out so he could go to the store.

"I don't want you to leave and buy condoms." She pulled a box of condoms out of her purse. "It would be a waste of money considering that you just bought a box this morning."

"You planned on having make up sex didn't you?"

"I hoped for it." Janet informed him and Eddie burst out laughing. Janet pulled him to her for a kiss and they began to officially make up from their fight.

* * *

The calling hours for Roster were scheduled for Tuesday evening. Janet had decided that she wasn't going to go to the calling hours. She didn't want to stand around, talking about what a swell guy her former friend was. She wasn't in the mood to pretend, especially in front of Roster's mom. She still had the feelings of guilt and blame but now anger was now a constant emotion and she knew she couldn't pretend to feel grief when all she felt was anger.

Since she was scheduled to work Tuesday night and her shift was over at the same time as the calling hours so that fact helped with the decision not to attend the calling hours but as the day wore on she began to second guess her decision. There was a part of her that wanted to see him, confront his lifeless body, even though it would do no good, and by the end of her shift, she decided to stop at the funeral home.

"I'm sorry ma'am. The Russo calling hours are over." Janet left work a little early but still arrived at the funeral home ten minutes after the calling hours had ended.

"I know but I was working and got here as quickly as I could. Please, I just need a couple of minutes."

"Five minutes."

"Thank you." He led her to the room where Roster's body was. Janet slowly walked over to the casket.

"Oh Roster. What did you do? Why did you do this? You were so young. You had your whole life in front of you. Why did you end it? Do you know that you broke your mother's heart? Did you think of anyone but yourself when you swallowed those pills? No you didn't because if you did, then you wouldn't be lying here right now. I can't believe that I never saw how selfish you were." Janet wiped away the tears that were falling. "I thought you were my friend and maybe we were friends when we were younger and there were no other guys interested in me but when Eddie began to show interest in me, you changed. You tried to ruin my relationship with and you succeed for almost a year. Why couldn't you just let me be happy? Why couldn't you be happy for me? My friend would have been happy for me. I'm sorry Roster. I'm sorry that I let you down. We had some great times a long time ago. I will remember those times when I think of you and not the last year. I hope you found peace." Janet turned away and started to walk away but when she got to the door she turned around and returned to the casket.

"How dare you blame me for your suicide Roster? There is a part of me that wants to apologize for not returning your feelings but I won't. We can't control who we fall in love with and I fell in love with Eddie Latekka and I refuse to feel guilty or apologize for it. You could have just moved on and found someone else to love but you had to go and kill yourself and in the process blame me and try to make me doubt my relationship. What in the hell was the point of that? If it would have worked out like you had hoped and Eddie and I would have broken up you wouldn't be here to reap the benefits because you are dead so why?" Janet sighed in frustration. "Just so you know, it didn't work. Eddie and I are still together. You didn't ruin our relationship so it was all for nothing. Goodbye Roster." This time when she turned around she kept walking.

Once she got to her jeep her tears came hard and fast. She was confused, hurt, grieving and she was angry. She didn't want to be alone so she drove over to her boyfriend's house. She knew just being with him would help her feel better.

"Hey Phil." Janet greeted when he opened the door.

"Hey Janet. Come on in." Janet stepped into the house. "I'm sorry about Roster."

"Thanks." She wasn't sure what else to say.

"Eddie is upstairs. It looks like you need him."

"I do and thanks." Janet walked upstairs and into Eddie's room. She briefly considered knocking first but she was his girlfriend and didn't have to knock. When she opened the door and walked in she found Eddie stretched out on his bed. He jumped when the door opened.

"Janet, babe, what are you doing here? What's wrong?" He looked shocked to see her and Janet reconsidered just showing up.

"Maybe I should have called but I…I…didn't want to be alone."

"You don't ever have to call before coming over."

"Can I stay the night?" She whispered softly.

"Absolutely." Janet dropped her purse on the floor and began to strip out of her work clothes.

"Did you go to calling hours?" Eddie knew Roster's calling hours were tonight.

"I did. I thought that it would help me feel better." She opened his dresser and pulled out one of his tee-shirts and slipped it over her head.

"No it didn't. I shouldn't have gone." She climbed into bed next to Eddie. She laid her head on his chest and he wrapped an arm around her.

"Why did you go?"

"I thought…hell; I don't know what I thought. I shouldn't have gone."

"I'm sorry babe."

"Can you just hold me tonight?"

"I can do that."

* * *

"Hey sweetheart. Time to wake up." Eddie was sitting on the edge of the bed, gently shaking his girlfriend awake the day of Roster's funeral. Janet's eyes fluttered opened and Eddie kissed her softly.

"Morning."

"How did you sleep?"

"Like a log."

"You didn't move at all." Janet slowly sat up.

"What time is it?" Janet just noticed what Eddie was wearing. "And why in the hell are you wearing a tie?"

"I'm going to the funeral with you."

"Why? Is it because I was upset last night?"

"I decided before you walked in here last night that I was going with you. Seeing you upset just confirmed that I made the right decision."

"Why?"

"Because you need me there."

"Thank you."

"Come on. We need to get you home so you can get ready." Eddie pulled her out of bed and she hugged him tightly.

"Thank you." She repeated.

"You are welcome."


	15. Chapter 15

**I own none of the characters of October Road**

"Hey sweetheart." Eddie answered his cell phone. Tonight was the dinner at Janet's sister's house and he was parked on the street waiting for his girlfriend.

"Hey honey. I'm running late."

"How late?"

"I haven't even left yet and I'm not going to be able to get out for at least another fifteen minutes."

"Babe, I'm already here. What am I supposed to do?"

"Go inside."

"Hell no. I'm not going in without you. I'll wait."

"Don't be ridiculous. You cannot just wait outside until I get there."

"Yes I can." He had no desire to enter Lillian's house alone.

"They won't bite."

"Ha. Ha. Very funny."

"Are you scared of my family?"

"Terrified." Janet started to laugh on her end. "It's not funny. I know damn well you wouldn't go into my parent's house without me."

"I would now. I have met them and you know my family."

"I would rather wait."

"Eddie, I'm sure they know that you are there and are wondering why you aren't coming in. Now get your ass in there and play nice. I'll be there as soon as I can."

"You so owe me."

"I always pay my debts. I'll see you soon."

"Love you."

"Love you too." Eddie grinned when he heard Janet giving instructions before she even hung up the phone.

With a sigh, Eddie pulled his keys out of the ignition, climbed out of the truck and slowly made his way up to Lillian's door. If someone was passing by they would have thought that Eddie was walking towards his execution. Once he arrived at the front door he took a deep breath and then rang the doorbell.

"Hey Eddie." Lillian greeted when she opened the door. She looked over his shoulder. "Where is Janet?"

"She's running late."

"Well come on in. We thought that you were going to sit in your truck all night." Eddie stepped into the house.

"Hi Eddie." Timmy and Charlie looked up from their video game to greet their friend.

"Hey guys. What's happening?"

"Wanna play with us?" Charlie asked.

"Maybe later." Eddie made himself a mental note that when he and Janet have kids they will not be in the house on a nice day, playing video games. They will be outside in the sunshine, getting exercise.

"Hello Eddie."

"Hi Mrs. Meadows."

"Call me Kat."

"Okay Kat."

"Janet's running late." Lillian explained to her mother. "When did you say she would be here?" She asked Eddie.

"Umm maybe twenty or so minutes." At that point Jason, Lillian's husband came over and shook Eddie's hand.

"I'm Jason, Lil's husband. We met briefly at the funeral." Jason wasn't raised in The Ridge. He was a student at the Duf who met and fell in love with a Ridge resident and made Knight's Ridge his home, like so many before him so Eddie didn't know Jason at all.

"Eddie Latekka." The two shook hands.

"So how is Janet doing?" Kat asked. Eddie knew she was referring to Roster's death. The whole town knew about Roster and Janet's mother was well aware of the friendship between her daughter and Roster.

"Better every day. She seems good today." When they returned from Roster's funeral the day before, Janet burned the letter that Roster left. Every word he wrote was ingrained in her mind, probably forever and she didn't need the physical reminder and Eddie stood right next to her, supporting her as the paper went up in flames.

"I'm glad. She told me she was fine yesterday but I wasn't convinced. Her voice always betrays her."

"Yes it does." Eddie agreed. "So is there anything I can do to help?" He wasn't all about kitchen duty but he felt like an idiot just standing around.

"No. Everything is ready. It's just staying warm until Janet gets here. Would you like something to drink? A beer?"

"A beer sounds great." Unlike Janet, he had no problems accepting a beer in the presence of her family. Lillian disappeared into the kitchen and returned a minute later with a beer for him. "Let's go out back and wait for Janet."

"Sounds good." Just as they got to the back door one of the boys hollered for their mother.

"Go on out and make yourself comfortable." Eddie nodded and stepped outside and there sat Janet's dad.

Eddie had never been in the position where the father of a girl he was dating tried to intimidate him. In high school, when he and Rory dated her dad didn't try to intimidate him. Rory's dad loved the fact that Eddie was captain of the football team and they were more like friends than father of the girl that he was dating. After he and Rory broke up he slept with quite a few women and that's all it was; sex. He didn't want another relationship so he never had to worry about fathers until now and even though a word has not been spoken, Eddie had a feeling that he had been set up to be intimidated by Janet's father and he was ready for it.

"Little early for a beer isn't it?" Patrick Meadows said. Even though Eddie knew what time it was because he was waiting for Janet, he made a show of looking at his watch.

"It's six thirty four. That's not too early and apparently it's not too early for you." Patrick was holding a beer in his hand.

"Sit." Eddie found a seat across from Janet's dad. "How much do you drink every day?"

"Well I haven't really thought about it much. When I'm working I drink a lot of water. I drink milk with breakfast and sometimes dinner and usually I have two to three soda's a day." Eddie answered smartly.

"That's not what I meant."

"I know. I am not an alcoholic. I may have a beer or two a couple nights a week and more on the weekend but not every weekend and honestly I am a grown man who shouldn't have to explain my drinking habits to you."

"You are a grown man who is dating my daughter."

"Who is a grown woman capable of making her own decisions."

"You two dated and then broke up. Why did you break up? What did you do to her?"

"With all due respect sir, but what happened between Janet and I before is none of your business. You can ask all you want but I will never tell you. The only thing that matters is Janet and I worked things out and we have decided to leave things in the past so I would appreciate it if you wouldn't bring it up again."

"What are your intentions with my daughter?" Eddie sighed and took a large swig of his beer.

"Haven't we already had this conversation?"

"I believe so but I would like to revisit it."

"My intention is to love Janet with everything I have for the rest of my life." Patrick nodded slowly.

"What do you do for a living?" Knights Ridge is a small town and Eddie knew damn well Patrick knew what he did for a living.

"I am part owner of a window instillation company, Best Friend Windows, which I am sure that you have seen on Main Street."

"Is it profitable?"

"It's holding its own. We've been in business for a little over a year and probably for the past couple of months we have been turning a profit. It's not a huge profit but it's getting better."

"Will you be able to take care of my daughter by holding your own?"

"First of all Janet doesn't want or need anyone taking care of her. Secondly, whatever Janet wants or need, she will have no matter what I have to do."

"Are you going to marry Janet?"

"Janet should be the first to know that don't you think?"

"I want Janet to be happy. Since she was a little girl, she has dreamed of finding her Prince Charming and walking down the aisle in a white gown to her happily ever after. I believe that Janet has found her Prince Charming in you and I'm just wondering if she is going to get her happily ever after."

"Janet and I, our relationship is complicated. Technically, we are in the infancy stage of this second round of dating but we dated for six months before we broke up so I really don't know how to figure out how long we have been dating and therefore we haven't talked about marriage. Have I thought about marriage? Hell yeah I have. I want to marry Janet one day. I just think that it's too soon to talk about it now." Eddie understood why Janet's dad was interrogating him. He knew that if he had a daughter, he would be doing the same.

"Do you have any children?" Eddie flinched slightly and his stomach immediately knotted up because all he could think about was the child that would never be.

"No I don't and you damn well know that."

"I pay no attention to the gossip that goes on in this town."

"I do not have any children."

"Do you want children? Janet has always wanted children."

"I had a child remember?"

"I apologize if I have upset you but I have no way of knowing how you felt about an unplanned pregnancy."

"Janet and I didn't plan to get pregnant. In fact we weren't officially dating at that time but the instant I learned about our baby, I loved and wanted it and when I learned that our baby died, I felt like my heart had been ripped to shred so yes, I want children. I want Janet to be the mother of my children." Eddie sniffed back the tears that had formed during this conversation.

"I'm sorry for upsetting you."

"Have I passed your test or is this type of interrogation going to occur every time we see each other because you should know, right now that no matter how many of these sessions we have, no matter what you say or do, you will not scare me away from Janet. I love her and I'm never going anywhere."

"That's what I wanted to hear. There will be no more interrogations. You have passed my "test" as you call it. One day, when you have a child, a little girl of your own you will understand where I am coming from. Janet grew up in her sister's shadow. Lilly was the kind of child who had to have all of everyone's attention while Janet stood in the background and let her sister have all of the attention. Kat, she showed Lil more attention than she showed Janet so I picked up Kat's slack so Janet and I, I would like to think that we are pretty close. She means the world to me and I don't want to see her hurt." Patrick explained to his daughter's girlfriend.

"I understand. Now we need to be clear on something. Janet, she is the most important person in my life and I would rather die than hurt her." "Again" He added silently to himself.

"Then we understand each other. " Patrick stood so Eddie did the same.

"Yes we do." The two men shook hands.

"Do you play poker?" Eddie looked at Janet's father in surprise.

"I do." Patrick pulled a deck of cards out of his pocket.

"Five card stud?"

"One of my favorites."

"How much cash do you have?"

"Seriously?" He nodded and Eddie pulled out his wallet and counted his cash.

"Forty seven dollars."

"That'll work."

* * *

"Sorry I'm late." Janet told her mother and sister when she walked into Lillian's house. "Work was crazy."

"It's okay. I'm just glad that you are here." Lillian told her sincerely.

"How are you sweetie?" Katherine Meadows asked her youngest daughter.

"I'm good mom. Roster was my friend and it was hard but I am getting better every day."

"That's what Eddie said."

"Speaking of Eddie, where is my boyfriend?"

"Out back with dad."

"By himself?" Kat laughed.

"I made sure your father came unarmed." Kat said and everyone laughed.

"They are playing poker."

"Really?" Janet grinned. Her dad only played poker with those he liked. "This I got to see." She went to the patio door and saw the two men in her life in the middle of what seemed to be a very intense poker game. Janet knew that she couldn't interrupt the game at this point because the pile of cash on the table indicated a very serious game and if she went out there whoever lost would blame it on her as a distraction so she stood by the window and watched until the cards were laid down and Eddie took the pile of cash.

"Hi Angel." Patrick greeted his daughter when she walked out on the deck.

"Hi daddy." She walked over and gave her father a hug and kiss.

"Your boyfriend here is one hell of a poker player."

"So I've been told." Janet walked away from her father's side and into her boyfriend's arms. "You took all of my father's money?"

"No. I won all of your father's money." The two of them grinned at each other and then shared a kiss. "Hi." He whispered when they broke apart.

"Hi yourself."

"Come on everyone. Dinner's ready." Lillian called and Patrick left the two of them alone and headed inside.

"Ready for this?" Janet asked.

"Dinner will be a piece of cake compared to what I have already been through."

"Dad?" Eddie nodded. "What happened?"

"Nothing I couldn't handle."

"Eddie."

"We had a nice conversation." Janet snorted. She knew her father. "Babe, he just wanted to make sure that you aren't going to get hurt; that I have honorable intentions in regards to you."

"Looks like you convinced him that your intentions are honorable because you two were playing poker and trust me, dad doesn't play poker with just anyone."

"My feelings for you are genuine so there wasn't much convincing needed."

"I knew my dad would like you."

"Obviously. I am a very likable person."

"That you are babe." With a grin, the two of them leaned towards each other but before their lips could meet they were being yelled at to join the family so they linked hands and returned to the house for dinner.

* * *

"Welcome to the Johnson Inn. How may I help you?"

"I'm looking for Janet."

"Are you Eddie?" He nodded. "Janet told me that you would be here. She is changing but she said to take you to her office to wait." Eddie and Janet had made arrangements for Eddie to pick her up from work and he would bring her back to work in the morning.

"Thanks." Eddie followed the front desk clerk back to Janet's office.

Once Eddie was alone he made himself comfortable behind Janet's desk. He grinned as he spotted a framed picture of the two of them. He reached out and picked up the picture and his smiled widened as he remembered the night the picture was taken. It was a picture of the two of them kissing the night before the homecoming game at Sully's. He clearly remembered Janet questioning his motives and telling him that she was unlike the other woman he had been out with. He knew he had to prove to her that he wanted to be with her, that he wasn't ashamed of being with her so with a pounding heart, he kissed her, in front of most of the town who happened to be a Sully's. When they broke apart he told her that she wasn't like taxes; that she wasn't like any of the others who had come before her and he remembered telling her how beautiful she was, inside and out. He knew the picture was taken during their second kiss because Janet was so shocked by the first kiss that she didn't respond with anything but her lips but the second kiss, he gave her warning before he kissed her again and during the second kiss her hand touched his face when his lips touched hers and that's when the picture was snapped.

"Hey handsome." Eddie jumped at Janet's voice. He looked up from the picture and whistled. He stood and walked over to her.

"Wow. You look amazing." She was wearing a dark green dress that came down to mid-calf. Her long, dark, curls hung down her back. She pulled some of her curls off of her face but left a couple of strands of ringlets down around her face. Around her neck, she wore the necklace he bought her for her birthday, as she has every day since he gave it to her. When he reached her side, he kissed her gently. "Hmmm. You smell so good too." He whispered as he nuzzled her neck.

"Thank you. You look very handsome as well." Eddie was wearing a plain dark suit and tie. He was never comfortable in a suit but Janet thought he looked so good in it.

"Where did you get this picture?" Eddie held up the framed picture from her desk and Janet blushed.

"Karen took that picture with her phone and emailed it to me. I never had anywhere to display it so when I got my own office and desk I had to print and frame it. I wasn't sure if it was appropriate to put this picture up since it was taken…before." Eddie placed the picture back on Janet's desk.

"There is nothing wrong with putting that picture up. That picture was taken during a happy night when things were good with us so in my opinion that picture should be proudly displayed on your desk. In fact, my desk is a tad bare and a picture, that picture would look great on it. Think you can get me a copy of it?"

"I'll do better than that." Janet grabbed the picture and handed it to Eddie. "Keep this one. I will print out another one. I saved the email."

"Thanks sweetheart." Eddie kissed her in thanks.

"We should get going. We don't want to miss our reservation."

"We wouldn't want that." Eddie said with a grin. He grabbed Janet's bag off the floor and Janet grabbed her purse and together, they walked out of her office. "Hang on a second. Give me your phone." Janet just looked at him. "May I please borrow your cell phone dear?"

"Much better." Janet reached into her purse and then handed her phone. "Why?"

"Cause your phone is fancier than mine." They stopped at the front desk.

"Hey Janet. You look real pretty."

"Thanks Megan."

"Megan would you do me a favor?" She nodded. "Would you take a picture of us please?" Eddie asked.

"Sure. You two should pose in front of the fireplace." Megan suggested.

"Sounds good." Janet explained how to work the camera on her phone worked and then the handsome couple posed in front of the fireplace.

* * *

"So what was that about?" Janet asked once the two of them were in Eddie's truck on the way to the restaurant.

"What was what about?"

"The picture."

"Well I figured that since we both looked so damn good we should document it and then maybe this picture could end up on both of our desks, a picture from the past and a picture from the present."

"I love that idea." Janet leaned over and kissed his check and then grabbed his hand. "I am so excited about tonight."

"I know you are."

"No Eddie, I don't think that you do. My whole adult life, I have always been the third wheel, mostly to Hannah and her boyfriend at the time. I'm sure that the guys that she dated weren't too thrilled about me tagging along but they tolerated it or me because of Hannah. I always felt awkward when they would kiss or touch. I felt like I didn't belong but now, tonight I'm going to walk into that restaurant, the restaurant built with couples in mind, I'm walking in there with my boyfriend on my arm and that…I am so happy." Eddie could hear that her voice was shaking and he knew that she was fighting back tears.

"I'm sorry I ruined this for you before. I never realized how much it meant to you."

"At the time, I thought that you purposely ruined the double date and I was furious but now, since you explained it to me I understand why you did what you did, and you defending me, our relationship with a couple of punches means more to me than a dinner with Ray and Hannah could have ever meant."

"It's better this way. No in their right mind would willingly spend a night with Cataldo." Eddie gave Janet's hand a squeeze. "I'm really excited about tonight."

"You are such a liar."

"No really. Seeing how excited and happy you are, it makes me excited too."

"I am truly one very lucky girl. You are the best boyfriend ever."

"Yeah I know."

"I have a reservation for four. The name is Latekka." Eddie told the hostess.

"Your table is ready. The other two in your party are already here. Follow me please." Eddie wrapped an arm around Janet's waist, so everyone would know that she had a date and the two followed them to their table or booth. He knew how much Janet wanted to sit in a booth with him by her side so when he made the reservation he requested a booth.

"You really did think of everything didn't you?" Janet whispered tearfully.

"It's what you wanted so I made it happen."

"I love you." Janet whispered and then she slid into her seat.

* * *

Dinner was enjoyed by all. Eddie had no idea what he ate. He trusted Janet to order for him because he couldn't read the menu; it was all in French but whatever Janet ordered for him, some sort of pasta dish, it was damn good. The four of them were enjoying great conversation and wine from the ridiculously expensive bottle they picked but Nick was splitting the cost with him so it wasn't that bad and the wine was probably the best he had ever drank. They had ordered dessert but had asked the waiter to wait before bringing it out so their delicious dinner could digest.

"Are you okay?" Janet asked when Eddie suddenly got up from his seat.

"Would you like to dance?" He asked in one breath. He saw the dance floor when they entered the restaurant and he knew Janet saw it as well. Prior to coming here he didn't know that there was a dance floor but the second he saw it, he knew he would be dancing with her tonight. He owed it to her after that stunt he pulled at Sully's when they were broken up.

"I…What…you don't dance."

"I do tonight. Dance with me Janet. Please?" How could a girl say no? She nodded because of the extremely large lump in her throat. Eddie helped her out of the booth and they made their way to the dance floor.

"You don't have to do this Eddie. I know dancing is the last thing that you want to do."

"I want to dance with you."

They found a spot on the dance floor. Eddie wrapped his arms around her waist while she wrapped her arms around his neck and laid her head on his chest. When they first started moving to the music, it wasn't coordinated at all. Eddie kept stepping on Janet's toes but by the end of the first song, Eddie finally found his rhythm and the two moved as one on the dance floor.

"You're not a bad dancer. You're actually pretty good."

"Tell that to your sore, bruised feet tomorrow." Janet lifted her head and gave him the most beautiful smile that he had ever seen. "Look I need to tell you how sorry I am for that night at Sully's." Janet knew exactly what he talking about.

"Babe we don't need to talk about that. It's in the past." Eddie shook his head.

"I want to. When I saw you dancing with that guy, I lost it. I was still so angry but the second I saw some other guy with his arms around you, I was so jealous and I wanted you to hurt so I did the stupidest thing possible. I took that girl who attached herself to me on the dance floor, next to you. I know how bad I hurt you that night and for that I am sorry."

"We were both hurting during that time. Did I feel like you tore my heart out and stomp on it when you began to dance with what's her face? Yeah I did, but it's in the past and the only thing matters is this moment right now."

"Every day, I ask myself, how did I get so lucky to fall in love with you."

"This has been one of the most wonderful nights of my life. Thank you Eddie." Janet lifted her head, Eddie lowered his and the two shared a slow, sweet and tasteful kiss.

"I love you Janet. Making this night come true for you, it was my pleasure."

"I love you too Eddie."


	16. Chapter 16

**I own none of the characters of October Road**

Janet was rushing around the house making sure that everything was perfect. Today was a very important day. Today was Eddie's thirtieth birthday and Janet had planned a surprise party for him. It wasn't anything big or spectacular. She just invited over Eddie's friends, their spouses or significant others. Along with Eddie's friends she invited her parents, Lillian and Jason, Eddie's parents, Max, The Commander, The Dean and Sully.

Janet had decorated the house with balloons, streamers and a Happy Birthday banner. She rented a corn hole game that was set up in the back yard. Between her parents and Eddie's parents they had enough chairs for everyone. Janet moved her stereo out to the deck so they could have some music. She bought enough food to feed an army, which she basically was. She made a huge batch of potato and pasta salad. She had bought lots of chips and dips, all of Eddie's favorites plus cheese puffs, her favorite. Thank God, the grocery store was having a meat sale because she bought tons of hamburgers, hotdogs and sausages and she convinced Mitch, Eddie's father to man the grill. Judee, Eddie's mom was taking care of the cake and finally, Janet purchased a keg of beer that would ensure everyone had a good time.

"Hi Janet." Max said walking into her house and hugging her tightly,

"Hi Max. I'm glad you came." Janet said returning his hug. "Hi Judee. Hi Mitch."

"Where is Eddie? Is he here?" Max asked.

"Not yet Max. Remember mom and I told you that this party is a surprise for your brother." Mitch explained.

"Janet, where can I put this?" Judee asked referring to the cake in her hands.

"I'm sorry. In the kitchen. Follow me." Janet began to walk to the kitchen. "There are drinks out back in the cooler. Help yourself." She called to the Latekka men. Judee followed Janet to the kitchen and set the cake on the table. "Wow that is a gorgeous cake."

"I can't take credit for it. I ordered it from the bakery. I've never been Betty Crocker and Eddie loves the cake from the bakery."

"Chocolate?" Janet asked.

"Of course. My boy loves chocolate. You did a great job Janet. Eddie is going to love this."

"I hope so."

"Do you need any help?"

"Nope everything is ready." Janet looked down at her old shorts and tee shirt that she was wearing. "Well everything except for me."

"Go get ready. I'll take care of anyone who arrives."

"Thank you." Janet smiled and went to her room.

On her bed was the blue and white sundress she planned on wearing. It was new and Eddie hadn't seen it yet. She bought it specifically for today. As she got dressed Janet reflected over the past month. Things between the two of them have continued to get better for them. Since their romantic dinner at the French restaurant they have grown closer. They have continued to go out on dates. Eddie took her to the drive-in and Janet loved it. She loved sitting in the back of Eddie's truck, snuggled up together under a blanket spending more time kissing than actually watching the movie. They went to movies, they went bowling, fishing and hiking. They played put-put since that was the only type of golf that Janet was good at. Sometimes they hung out at Sully's with friends; sometimes they hung out with Max and Eddie's parents on family dinner night and sometimes they just hung out at one of their houses. They spent all of their free time together as well as most of their nights, at least five out of seven nights they were together. Some days, those nights when one of them, usually Janet, worked late, going home and finding the other waiting on their couch was the only time that day that they saw each other and Janet had never been happier.

Twenty minutes later, everyone Janet had invited was at her house. Eddie was due in ten minutes but he sometimes had the habit of showing up early so Janet ushered everyone out back. She didn't want to risk the surprise. Eddie wouldn't know what was going on because Janet had asked everyone to park on the next street over and five minutes before he was due to arrive Janet saw his truck coming down the road. She rushed out back to tell everyone that he was here and as she was returning to the living room the door opened and Eddie stepped into the house.

"Hey look at all the balloons and stuff. Did you do this for me?" Eddie asked with a grin.

"Nah. I did it for my other boyfriend who just happens to be having a birthday as well. He'll be coming over later tonight." Janet responded with a grin.

"Lucky guy." Janet walked over, wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him softly.

"Happy Birthday baby." Janet whispered when they broke apart.

"Thank you." Eddie reluctantly pulled away. "By the way, you look beautiful. Is that dress new?"

"As a matter of fact it is. Good eye Latekka."

"I notice everything about you." With a smile, Janet leaned forward and kissed him again.

"You know we could stay here and have a picnic in your bed while naked." Janet had told Eddie that she wanted to take him for a birthday picnic and suddenly, Eddie wasn't in the mood for a picnic.

"But you just said how pretty the dress was. Why would I want to take it off?"

"Pont of clarification, I said beautiful not pretty and while you look beautiful wearing the dress I like what's underneath that dress." Janet felt herself blush.

"Play your cards right Latekka, you just may see what is underneath my dress." Eddie's eyes lit up. "Later." Right at that moment Janet wished that she didn't have a backyard full of people.

"Well then let's go so later can happen."

"Oh before we go, there is a brown spot on my grass out back that I was hoping that you would look at."

"What? All of your grass was green when I mowed it last week."

"I noticed it this morning when I was mowing."

"Janet I told you that I would mow your lawn today."

"It's your birthday. You shouldn't have to mow my lawn. I am capable of mowing my own lawn. I did it before you came into my life. "

"I don't mow your lawn because I have to be all manly. I mow it because I like mowing lawns."

"I know you do and you look really sexy doing it too." Eddie grinned and shook his head. "Now will you come and look at that spot. I'm afraid that my grass is dying."

"Yeah sure." Janet stepped to the side and let Eddie go first. "It is a possibility that your grass is dying." Eddie began. "If that is what is happening I can replant and…"

"SURPRISE. HAPPY BIRTHDAY." Eddie actually jumped back in surprise.

"What the…?"

"Happy Birthday babe." Janet told him.

"You did this?" Eddie asked incredulously and Janet nodded. Eddie turned and wrapped his arms around her waist. "You're the best."

"I know. Now go enjoy your party."

"I love you." He whispered.

"I love you too." With a quick kiss, Eddie went and joined everyone who came to celebrate his birthday.

* * *

The first few hours of the party were relatively laid back simply because the parent folk were around as well as Owen's kids, Sam and Max. Even though they were taking it easy, they still had fun. They ate lots of food. Some people sang, some people danced and everyone talked and laughed. When the birthday cake was brought out, Eddie heard the craziest version of happy birthday that he had ever heard, thanks to his crazy friends and family. Even though Janet didn't ask anyone to bring gifts, most everyone brought gifts so after Eddie indulged himself with his chocolate cake and ice cream he opened his gifts which included a beer of the month club membership, gift cards, video games, money and other miscellaneous gifts.

After the parental folks, kids and Max left the party really got started. They managed to turn corn hole into a drinking game. Every time the bean bag missed the board the person who threw the bag had to drink. They played card games which required a lot of drinking and by the time the sun went down, most of the food was eaten and the remaining guests, Nick, Hannah, Owen, Allison, Ikey, Trista, the girl that Ikey was dating, Ronnie and Aubrey, Eddie and Janet were all pretty drunk. Actually Janet was the least drunk of them all; she just had a slight buzz and Eddie was on the opposite end of the spectrum; he was three sheets to the wind.

Janet walked through her house picking up the plastic cups that had once been filled with beer from the keg. To do this she had to step over the numerous bodies that were sprawled across the living room because of too much alcohol. "Looks like we're going to need some blankets." Hannah commented as she put some of the cups into the trash bags.

"Where is Eddie?" Janet asked. She hadn't seen him in awhile and he wasn't one of the bodies passed out in the living room.

"And where is Nick?"

"If I know Eddie then he managed to find his way to my bed."

"And I'm sure Nick followed him." Both girls looked at each other and grinned. "Now this I gotta see." The two friends walked to Janet's bedroom and that's where they found their boyfriends. Nick was on his back and Eddie was on his stomach with his arm thrown over Nick's abdomen.

"I need my camera." Janet whispered.

"He will kill you."

"It will so be worth it." Janet disappeared and by the time she returned with her camera Nick had rolled over and had an arm slung across Eddie's lower back and Janet began to laugh uncontrollably.

"Shhh, you'll wake them up." Hannah whispered.

"Are you kidding? They are too far gone." Janet held up the camera and snapped a picture.

"This is great blackmail material." Hannah said as she looked at the picture.

"I think that both of us will be getting whatever we want from now on." Janet told her and the two of them laughed as they returned to clean up duty.

* * *

Eddie felt movement beside him in the bed. Without opening his eyes he reached over and wrapped his arm around the body next to him. When he felt Janet turn towards him he finally opened his eyes and instead of seeing Janet's curls he saw dark short hair. "What the hell?"

Hearing Eddie's voice Nick pried his eyes opened and looked right into Eddie's eyes. It took a minute for their precarious position to register and when it did at the exact same moment they both screamed and jumped out of bed. From the living room, Janet heard the scream and she and Hannah rushed into her bedroom and found Nick and Eddie standing on opposite sides of the bed, staring at each other breathing heavily.

"He…was in bed…in your bed…with me." Eddie gasped pointing a shaking finger at Nick.

"You got…in bed…with me. I distinctly remember this bed was empty when I got in it."

"Why in the hell would you sleep in my girlfriend's bed?"

"I was drunk. I obviously wasn't thinking clearly."

"Well you need to start thinking clearly. I can't believe…"

"All right you two. Enough already." Janet intercepted. "It's no big deal. You both were drunk and passed out. It happens. You both are still fully clothed so we can assume that nothing happened."

"Oh God. Don't even go there." Eddie said and he looked like he was going to vomit. "I gotta take a leak." Janet giggled as Eddie brushed past her to the bathroom.

Janet figured that her guests would be waking up soon and would be hungry. Luckily when she checked her fridge she had a brand new cartoon of eggs and a loaf of bread. That would work for scrambled eggs and toast. It wasn't much or fancy but she figured drunken beggars couldn't be choosers.

After Eddie took care of his bathroom needs he made his way out of the bathroom and into the living room, looking for Janet. As he stepped over the bodies of his friends, he gave them a nice kick, waking them up. He wanted them all out of the house as soon as possible so he could properly thank his girl for the party she threw him.

"Oww." Owen groaned as Eddie kicked him in the butt.

"Get up." Eddie growled. After Eddie woke everybody up in his own special way he went into the kitchen where he found Janet whisking a bowl full of eggs. He walked up behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her neck. "Morning." He mumbled into her neck.

"Good morning grumpy."

"Hey, you would be grumpy too waking up next to Nick." Janet shrugged out of his embrace so she could start the eggs. "Seriously, you're cooking for these drunk morons?"

"I am."

"Why?"

"They were nice enough to come to your party so the least I can do is feed them breakfast."

"You fed them last night. We should just kick them out."

"They'll be out quicker if you help." Eddie sighed.

"What can I do?"

"Toast."

"Toast. They get toast too?" He grumbled but he grabbed the loaf of bread. He wasn't really mad that she was making his friends breakfast. In fact, he thought it was really sweet. Together, the two of them made their guests breakfast and a half an hour later, after everyone sat down to enjoy their simple breakfast of scrambled eggs and toast Eddie and Janet were finally alone.

The second after Janet shut her front door Eddie pulled her into his arms and kissed her passionately until he could no longer breathe and then he nuzzled her neck until he got his breath back and then he returned to her lips. As he kissed her the second time he began to walk them back to her bedroom but a wall stopped them.

"Thank you for my party." He whispered huskily as he lifted her arms above her head and pinned them to the wall.

"Hmmm. You are welcome." Eddie lifted her leg and hooked it around his hip.

"I never did get to see what was under your pretty dress." Eddie rested his hand on her calf and slowly it began to trail up to her thigh.

"Hmmm." Was the only response Janet could muster.

"Thank you so much for my party." He repeated as he released her arms and she wrapped them around his neck.

"It was my pleasure. I wanted to make your birthday special for you."

"It was very special." Through closed eyes Janet felt him moving around and then she heard the distinct sound of his zipper sliding down and she moaned in anticipation. "I love you Janet, so very much." His voice was filled with such love and tenderness that Janet wanted to cry.

"I…I…love you too." Janet responded tearfully.

Janet gasped as Eddie's fingers moved from her thigh to underwear. He pushed them to the side and stroked into her. Eddie moved slowly inside of Janet, savoring the feeling of tightness that this position provided. He was cupping one of her cheeks while he kissed her, only breaking apart long enough to breathe. Eddie was moving painfully slow and Janet was desperate for more. She tried to move her hips but Eddie had a tight grip on her and she could only move a little bit, not nearly enough for her liking but it felt amazing. They both were feeling a connection like never before. The only sounds that could be heard was the sound of their lips meeting in passionate kisses and the sounds of their own heartbeats in their ears since their hearts were beating so loudly and when the both finally climaxed they held each other tight as they crested over into euphoria.

"Damn woman. That was…wow." Eddie had returned Janet's leg to the floor and they were still up against the wall, foreheads resting against the other's while their breathing returned to normal. "What do you say about taking this to the bedroom?"

"I would like to but I don't think that I can walk." Janet's legs haven't stopped shaking.

"I got you. I won't let you fall." Eddie wrapped an arm around Janet and the two of them made their way to Janet's bedroom and her bed. Janet wanted to cuddle but Eddie had other ideas.

"How about you show me what's under that pretty dress of yours now?" Janet slept in her dress last night.

"Really? You are ready to go again?" Janet was flattered that he desired her again so quickly.

"Umm yeah. I still never got my Happy Birthday sex."

"What was that we just did against the wall in the living room? Have you forgotten already?"

"Oh believe me I could not forget something like that but that was your "Thank you for my party" sex. I now require belated "Happy Birthday" sex." Janet laughed.

"Can I at least give you your birthday present first? I never had a chance yesterday." Janet leaned over and pulled a card out of her nightstand.

"Babe, you gave me my party. You shouldn't have done anything else." Janet handed him the card and he reluctantly took it.

"I wanted to. Now shut up and open it."

"Yes ma'am." With a grin Eddie pulled out the card. It was a regular Hallmark card filled with words of love. "This is beautiful. Thank you." Eddie told her with a lump in his throat.

"I know it was written by some Hallmark writer but it's exactly how I feel. "

"I know what you mean. Those damn card writers say things so much better than I ever could." He leaned over and kissed her softly. When he broke the kiss he turned to the second envelope that was inside his card. "What's this?"

"Open it and find out." Eddie slowly pulled out the gift inside the envelope and gasped in surprise.

"Janet, what the hell?" Inside the envelope was two passes for eighteen holes of golf at a very prestigious golf course in Boston along with reservations for a night in a hotel.

"I remember the one time we golfed you told me about this amazing course that you and your dad wanted and dreamed of playing at."

"Babe, this is the best, most thoughtful gift anyone has ever given me but I can't accept it. This had to have cost a fortune."

"It didn't. Shawn Newman, my boss, won the tickets at some raffle and he hates golf. He knows that my boyfriend loves golf so he passed them over to me. The only thing I paid for was the hotel room and that wasn't even very expensive because I used my employee discount."

"I know you aren't a huge found of golf, but babe, this course is amazing and even you will love it."

"I'm not going. This is for you and your dad."

"But Janet, I want you there."

"From what you have told me, playing this course is a once and a lifetime opportunity and it should be appreciated. It would be wasted on me. You and your father will appreciate it." Eddie looked at Janet with tears in his eyes. He knew he shouldn't be surprised at her thoughtfulness but he was blown away by it.

"Thank you just doesn't seem to be good enough but I'm going to say it anyway. Thank you sweetheart. This means more to me than you will ever know."

"You are so very welcome." Eddie set his gift on the nightstand on his side of the bed and then he kissed the woman he loved more than anything.

"So, can I see what's under that pretty dress now?" Without a word, Janet slipped the straps of her dress down over her shoulders, slowing revealing herself to him and Eddie could only smile.

* * *

It was the 4th of July and the entire town had gathered for the annual 4th of July picnic. Every year the town sets up tons of picnic tables and every family claims one along with chairs that they had brought. Everyone brings their own meat or entrée and a covered dish per family which is added to a giant buffet table and basically the town eats until the food is gone. The food portion of the day officially started at 1 but there were many activities prior to and after the assigned start time.

One of the big draws of the day was the softball games. Throughout the day multiple softball games were being played. You could sign up your team for a slot and then the teams are randomly assigned to play each other. You could have as many players on your team as you wanted, men and women and all players had to have the same color shirts on so there was no confusion and it was all in good fun. The winners of the games were given blue ribbons to attach to their shirts.

For years Janet sat on the stands and watched Eddie and his friends play the game and this year, she was one of the players. Their team consisted of Janet, Eddie, Nick, Hannah, Owen, Ikey, Ronnie, Aubrey, and Max. Playing in the softball game at the 4th of July picnic with his brother and his brother's friends was the highlight of Max's year. Eddie was thankful that none of his friends took the game seriously and they loved having Max on the team. Sam was too young to play so he was assigned as the bat boy, a job he embraced.

It was the last inning and Team Latekka, as Eddie referred to his team, was up by four runs. They had this game in the bag. They had two outs and Max was up to bat. Max hadn't hit the ball once but that didn't bother him at all. He was having a blast. "Okay Max. Let's go." Eddie cheered.

"I got this Eddie." Max called and the bench laughed.

"Sorry man. I know." Max positioned himself at home plate and swung all the way around when the first two balls came his way. The team assumed the third ball would be swung out and missed as well so they began to quietly gather their supplies together and suddenly they heard the crack of the bat against the ball. Max hit the softball out into left field.

"Eddie, look I did it. I hit the ball." Max shouted from home plate.

"I saw it. Now run Max." An excited Eddie shouted.

"Where?"

"First base. Over there." Eddie pointed to first base. "Run." Max set his bat down and took off for first base. Everyone in the stands and on the bench saw what an easy catch Max's ball would be for the outfielder and everyone saw the outfielder let the ball drop in front of him and the lazy throw to first base which came up a few feet short of the base. The first baseman, slowly stepped towards the dropped ball and suddenly had trouble picking it up and by the time the ball was back in his glove and he got to first base Max was safe. Both benches and the stands gave Max a standing ovation and Max just grinned.

"That was amazing." Eddie whispered to Janet as she came up to bat.

"It sure was." She agreed.

"Now bring my brother home."

"I'll do my best." Eddie grinned and smacked her butt and then got out of her way.

Janet was a great softball player and she easily sent the ball flying with the first pitch. Again Eddie had to shout to his brother to run. Janet was easily thrown out at first base which was the final out but the pitcher gave Eddie a nod letting him know that Max could finish running the bases. Max's entire team was on their feet shouting "Go Max" and when he came back around at home plate he got the kind of reception that a major league player would get after winning the World Series. After the celebration was over, Eddie shook the hands of every one of the other team's players, personally thanking them for what they did for his brother.

After the softball game, everyone dispersed to do their own things. Eddie, Janet and Max joined up with Mitch and Judee and all of them ate until they were ready to explode. Giving their food time to digest, they walked around the lake and checked out some of the stands that people put up. They even had some carnival games and Eddie spent $10 to win Janet a tiny stuffed frog that was probably worth about $2 but regardless, it was a stuffed frog that Janet would cherish.

Once their food was digested the five of them spent the afternoon out on the lake on Eddie's parent's boat. Janet had never been out on a boat before and she loved it. She loved going fast and she loved the feeling of the wind in her hair. She would have been content just to ride around in the boat all day but the Latekka family had other ideas for her. They pulled out the water skis and Judee, Mitch and Eddie skied like pros. Janet was practically drooling as she watched Eddie glide across the water. He looked so good. Once they were all done showing off Janet was forced into the water to give it a try. Eddie treaded water behind while explaining the basic concept of water skiing. There were multiple attempts but she never really had full success. The first few times, she was in position and as soon as the boat went forward, she ended up planting her face in the water. Finally, the last time she gave it a try, she actually was pulled to her feet and lasted about 10 seconds before she fell but those 10 seconds thrilled Janet and Eddie couldn't have been prouder of his girl. When Janet climbed back in the boat, Max hugged her and said, "It's okay Janet. I can't do it either."

When they were skied out the tubes were brought out. Obviously Janet had never tubed before so Eddie made sure they were the first two in the tube. Mitch and Judee had a double tube so Eddie and Janet were able to ride together. Mitch went easy on Janet her first time out and she loved it. After she was thrown from the tube, into the water, he asked her if she was ready for me and she was. During the second round Janet was terrified but elated at the same time. Mitch proved to be a crazy boat driver and he was throwing their tube all over the place. Janet was holding on for dear life but laughing hysterically at the same time and her laughter was music to Eddie's ears.

Once Janet was thrown off her tube a second time she needed a break so Max took her place. Mitch showed no mercy as he drove the boat that pulled the tube that was carrying his sons'. Janet almost had a heart attack as she watched Max and Eddie. While she was on the tube the only thing she could concentrate on was holding on. Max and Eddie spent their entire ride pushing and shoving each other, trying to push the other off and Max was the first one to succeed. Janet laughed when she witnessed Eddie flying off the tube.

The rest of the afternoon was spent tubing with everyone taking turns. When Mitch was in a tube Eddie was the one who was driving the boat and Eddie proved to be just as ruthless as his father was. The only time that either of them went easy was when Judee was on the tube. Neither of them wanted to deal with her wrath if they didn't follow directions. By the end of the afternoon Janet had become brave and she attempted to push her riding partner off, usually Eddie or Max and not succeeding. They were the ones who knocked her in the water and she loved every minute of it.

Hours later as the sun was setting everyone were making their way to their spot for the fireworks with ice cream in hand. Mitch and Max were walking ahead of the group while Eddie, Janet and Judee slowly strolled along, Eddie and Janet holding hands. "I want to talk to the two of you about something." Judee told them.

"Are we in trouble mom?" Eddie joked.

"It's kind of a favor."

"Favor?" His mom never asked him for a favor.

"Your father and I have our timeshare booked for the 3rd week in August. Your dad just found out that there is a conference that same week, a conference that he can't miss. We've already paid for the week and it is nonrefundable so if it's not used then it just goes to waste."

"What are you asking mom?"

"I was hoping that you and Janet and maybe some of your friends would take it."

"Are you asking us to go on vacation?"

"Yes. The only thing you would have to pay for is your food and gas and your dad and I will let you take the boat."

"Where are you guys booked at this year?"

"Connecticut and the town is only an hour and a half away from the ocean. It's a beautiful resort. It's on a lake with great fishing and a pool. The room is absolutely gorgeous. It has a balcony that overlooks the lake and it sleeps eight. There is an indoor water park not far from the resort and your father and I will treat you guys to a day there."

"Geez mom. It sleeps eight? Why would you get such a big room? There are only three of you."

"It was the smallest available and we were hoping that you and Janet would join us this year." Eddie hadn't been on a family vacation in ten years. "So what do you say?"

"I'm not sure if I can get the time off work." Janet answered

"Well if you could, would you go?" Judee asked.

"If I could pay you."

"No. We don't want any money. It's already paid for regardless if the room gets used."

"Do you think you could off work babe?" The thought of spending a week with Janet on vacation was very enticing. He couldn't imagine anything better.

"I have the vacation time and I don't think that anyone else has time off." Eddie knew that Janet was on board.

"Mom, I think that if we can both get the time off work then we are in." Janet nodded in agreement.

"Now there is one little catch."

"Of course there is." Eddie quipped. "Is the resort downwind from a sewage plant or something?"

"The catch is Max. He is really looking forward to going on this trip and he will be heartbroken if he doesn't get to go."

"Max isn't a catch." Janet said. "We would love to have him with us."

"He is going to be thrilled. A week without his parents and with his brother and his brother's girlfriend; he will be in heaven. Thank you guys."

"No mom. Thank you."

Once the sun set Janet and Eddie sat curled up in the bed of his truck, arms around each other watching the fireworks being set off over the lake. The fireworks were beautiful, bright and big but despite all of that all they could think about was the perfect day they spent together and the possibility of many more to come.


	17. Chapter 17

**I own none of the characters of October Road **

Eddie, Janet, Max, Nick, Hannah and Sam had been on the road for hours, traveling to their vacation home. Janet was able to get the week off with no trouble at all. Eddie had invited all of his friends but Owen couldn't get the time off of work. Phil doesn't leave the house let alone the state. Ikey wasn't a vacation kind of guy and while he appreciated the offer he didn't want to go so that left Nick, Hannah and Sam. They were all for a vacation together. Ronnie and Ikey were now full time employees of Best Friend Windows so with a little schedule shuffling, Eddie and Nick were able to take the week off and leave Ikey and Ronnie with enough jobs to keep them busy but not overwhelmed.

"Are we there yet?" Max asked and Eddie sighed. Max had been asking that question every fifteen minutes during the last two hours.

"Does it look like we are there Max?" Eddie snapped.

"There is no need to be mean to him. He's excited." Janet whispered.

"I don't know." Max answered quietly.

"We are still driving so no, we aren't there." Eddie told his younger brother.

"Janet can we play that license plate game again?" During the long car ride Janet had been amazing with Max, playing all kinds of games with him to keep him entertained.

"Janet's trying to read her book. Why don't you listen to your music, play your video game or watch another movie."

"All right."

"Thanks dude." Max put in his ear phones and Eddie grinned at the thought of some peace and quiet.

"I gotta pee." Janet told him a minute later and Eddie groaned.

"Really? Can't you hold it? According to the GPS we are only about an hour and a half away." Between Max and Sam's bathroom stops it felt like they were stopping every fifty miles.

"If I could hold it then I wouldn't be telling you. I have been holding it for the last hour."

"Fine. Call Nick and Hannah and let them know that we will be stopping at the next exit." Eddie snapped, yet again.

"Really? You are getting this corked over the fact that I have to pee. You are obviously not a road trip kind of dude. I think that Max and I will ride home with Nick and Hannah." Janet snapped back as she sent a text message to Hannah.

"Janet." Eddie began but she ignored him and put her own ear buds in her ear and they rode in silence until they reached a gas station.

Once they arrived at the gas station Janet jumped out of the truck and strode inside without a word to Eddie. While Janet took care of her urinary needs, Eddie decided that since they were stopped he might as well fill the boat up with gas.

About ten minutes later Janet had returned from the bathroom carrying a soda for the three of them. Eddie could tell by her walk that she was still pissed at him and was probably going to get into the truck without talking to him so he made a beeline for the passenger door and arrived there an instant before his girlfriend. "Eddie move." He just stood there. "What? Are you going to take the soda away so we don't need any more pee breaks?" Eddie took the soda from her hands and tossed them into the back of his truck. He would get them out later. "Dammit Eddie."

"I'm sorry babe."

"For what?"

"For being an ass mom." Janet glared at him.

"I am not your mother."

"Janet I'm really sorry that I was being an ass. I'm just tired and I guess that I have been cooped up in the truck for too long." The week prior to leaving they both had pulled a lot of long days to make sure everything at work got done so they could leave and the night before they both were up very late packing and up very early to leave.

"Guess what genius? I am just as tired as you are and I'm not being a jerk. Get over it! It was your idea to leave so damn early. We are an hour and a half away from our vacation destination. We have a week to relax and sleep in."

"I'm sorry." The look he gave her was priceless. His face was full of innocence and he looked like a little boy. It made Janet smile, a little.

"Look, I can deal with you being grumpy and snapping at me. I can fight back."

"Yes you can." He agreed with a grin.

"But Max, he is just so excited. He doesn't need you snapping at and being mean to him."

"I know. I suck at being a good big brother."

"You don't suck baby. You're just having an off day." Eddie grinned

"Are we good?" He asked.

"Almost."

"I hear ya." He reached into the back of his truck and pulled out the soda he tossed in there. Then with his free hand he opened the passenger door and Janet climbed in. Once she was settled, he handed her the soda and then leaned in and kissed her until the back door of his truck opened. He smiled softly at her, shut the door, walked around to the driver's side and five minutes later they were on the road again.

"Hey Max?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry that I was such a jerk to you."

"It's okay

"No Max it's not okay. It's never okay to be mean."

"I understand."

"Next time that I'm being mean you tell me okay?"

"Really? I can tell you to your face that you are being a jerk."

"You sure can."

"Sweet." Eddie and Janet both laughed.

"Now we're good." Janet whispered reaching for and squeezing his hand.

* * *

Their condo was the most spectacular thing that any of them had ever laid eyes on. The kitchen was a decent size and had all of the amenities available. There was a dining room table that would fit 10 people and the living room was twice the size of Janet's. The master bedroom had a huge bed, maybe a double king if that existed. It looked like four adults could fit comfortably in it. In the bathroom connected to the master bedroom there was a round Jacuzzi tub shower, vanity and sink. Eddie instantly claimed the master bedroom for him and Janet since it was his parents that were paying for the condo.

Nick and Hannah's bedroom had a king-sized bed and the bathroom was connected but it was in the hallway, right outside of their room next to the washer and dryer. Now the third room had two double beds and an attached bathroom. There was also a sofa bed in the living room but Max and Sam were willing to share a bedroom so the sofa bed would simply remain a sofa.

The best feature was the balcony off of the living room and master bedroom that overlooked a lake. There were two small tables and four chairs so the adults could sit out and relax and Janet knew that she would be spending a lot of time out there, hopefully with Eddie enjoying the time that they were spending together.

Once everyone was unpacked and the x-box was set up in Max and Sam's room the group split up. Hannah and Janet did the girly thing and went to the grocery store while Eddie and Nick took Sam and Max out on the boat for some male bonding and fishing. Max and Sam were so excited to go fishing. Fishing was something that Eddie used to do with both Max and Sam before Nick came back home. Sunday's during the spring, fall and summer Eddie and the two boys and sometimes Mitch would be at the lake, wetting their poles.

Janet and Hannah spent two hours at the grocery store. Prior to leaving Knights Ridge everyone decided that it would be cheaper to eat all of their meals at the condo instead of going out so the two girls planned out their menu and made a grocery list before leaving home and it was a big list and combined with the fact that they weren't familiar with the store it was a long but fun process.

A few hours later, groceries were put away and everyone had full bellies thanks to the frozen pizza's that were made for dinner. Max and Sam crashed in front of the x-box in their room, controllers in hand and the adults were enjoying an adult beverage on the balcony, well all of the adults except for Hannah who was drinking water.

"What's up with the water Hannah?" Eddie asked while he absentmindly rubbed Janet's feet. She was sitting in a chair across from him with her feet stretched out onto his lap. She didn't ask for a foot rub but she sure wasn't going to stop it. Hannah and Nick looked at each other and linked hands.

"Hannah and I have an announcement." Nick said and Janet pulled her feet out of Eddie's lap and sat up. She had a feeling that she knew what the announcement was and she wasn't sure how she felt about it. "We're getting married." Eddie grinned, stood and shook his friend's hand.

"Congratulations." The two of them have been dating since a month after Hannah's non-wedding to Ray.

"Getting married is not a reason not to drink beer. In fact it's usually a reason to drink beer."Janet told her friends. "What's going on Hannah?"

"I'm pregnant." Hannah admitted and bit her lip. "I didn't want to tell you here but I've had really bad morning sickness and I knew you figure it out when you heard me puking in the mornings." The friends were silent for a minute.

"Sam must be thrilled." Eddie finally said.

"He is." Hannah answered but never took her eyes off of her best friend. "Janet...please say something." Hannah begged.

"I'm sorry. Congratulations. I am happy for you, for the three of you." Janet stood and set her beer down. "I think I'm going to go to bed. It's been a long day. Goodnight." Janet avoided eye contact and quickly left. Eddie had watched Janet go and then he looked at Hannah.

"Hannah you know Janet. She really is happy for you." Eddie said and Hannah nodded through her tears."The miscarriage, it's still pretty raw for her, for both of us."

"I didn't mean..."

"You guys didn't do anything wrong, well maybe except for the fact that you didn't use protection again." Eddie told his friends with a grin. "It'll be all good tomorrow." Eddie clapped Nick on the back. "Congrats man. Congrats to both of you."

"Thank you."

"I think that I'm going to hit the hay as well. I need to check on her."

"Goodnight."

"Night guys." Eddie left the couple out on the balcony and went into his room. Janet wasn't in bed but he heard water running. He went into the bathroom and found her with her hair pulled off of her face and on top of her head, a sure sign that she had washed her face and she had a toothbrush in her mouth. She gave him a small smile in the bathroom mirror and Eddie briefly ran his hand across her back as he passed her on his way to the toilet. He wanted to talk but he knew she wasn't quite ready so he kept his mouth shut. Without a word, before he was done peeing she left the bathroom.

Once he finished in the bathroom he returned to the bedroom and saw Janet already in bed facing his empty side. He stripped down to his boxers, turned off the light and climbed in next to her. He wrapped an arm around her and rested his forehead right next to hers. She reached out and laid her hand on his cheek. After a minute she looked at him with tears in her eyes.

"Hannah is having a baby." She whispered tearfully.

"I know."

"I am happy for her but I just can't help but think about our baby."

"Me too."

"I would have been five and a half months pregnant by now Eddie. We would have felt it move. If it was cooperating, we would probably know what was growing inside of me. What would you have liked to have?"

"I haven't thought much about it. It hurts too much but as of right now, I think that I would have wanted a boy."

"I wanted a girl." Janet sniffed and Eddie wiped away her falling tears. "We probably would have had the nursery painted and a named picked out by this point."

"Janet we can't live in "probably."

"I know that and I haven't been. Not until tonight but when Hannah confirmed that she was pregnant..."

"Everything that we wouldn't have came rushing back." Janet nodded.

"Our babies, they would have been so close together. They could have grown up together. Why Eddie?" Janet began to sob quietly. "Why did we have to lose our baby?"

"I don't know sweetheart. I just don't know." By this time, Eddie had his own tears falling. He tightened his grip around Janet as the two of them laid in the dark crying silently, thinking of the child that would never be.

Once Janet calmed down, she lifted her head and slowly kissed Eddie's tears off of his cheeks."I am sorry that I upset you."She whispered.

"You didn't upset me. I'm sorry that you got upset."

"I really am happy for Nick and Hannah. I can't wait to throw a baby shower for them. I guess that the pain of what I…what we lost it just came bubbling to the surface and I couldn't control it."

"It's a natural reaction Janet."

"God, Hannah must hate me."

"No she doesn't. She understands." Janet tilted her head slightly and was easily able to press her lips to his. In an instant Eddie rolled Janet over onto her back. Her hands immediately began to pull his boxers down. "Are you sure?"

"Oh yeah. Did you lock the door?"

"I sure as hell did." He had hoped that he and Janet would be making love so he locked their bedroom door, just in case.

With Janet's help Eddie's boxers were quickly thrown onto the floor and then Eddie quickly assisted Janet with the removal of her underwear and his tee shirt that had become her night shirt. Janet spread her legs wide in invitation and Eddie slid inside, causing them both to moan. Eddie put his weight on his elbows so he could look into Janet's eyes. She wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. Eddie moved slowly inside of Janet, pulling out until the tip of him remained inside of her which made her desperate. She lifted her hips to push him back in but he wasn't having it. He wanted her to feel what he was feeling for as long as possible. They moved slowly in tandem with each other, sharing quiet moans, long looks and sweet kisses until their orgasms overtook their body.

"I love you." Eddie whispered lovingly as he pulled his flaccid penis out of Janet. He rolled onto his back and took Janet with him.

"I love you too." She mumbled sleepily as she made herself comfortable in his arms. Eddie knew she was spent, totally satisfied and ready to fall asleep and a cocky grin spread across his face knowing he did that to her. "Should we get dressed?"

"Do you wanna get dressed?" Eddie asked.

"No. I want to sleep."

"Then sleep babe." Eddie kissed the top of her head and Janet let out a sigh of contentment. "Sweet dreams sweetheart."

* * *

The next morning, the first official day of their vacation, Janet woke up before Eddie. It was such a wonderful feeling waking up wrapped tightly in his embrace. She could really get used to that. The only negative was it was very hard to get out of is embrace without waking him. She carefully tried to extract herself from the tangle of arms and legs but as careful as she was, she managed to wake him up. "Honey?" He mumbled sleepily.

"Go back to sleep." He nodded, she kissed him and he was snoring before she got out of bed.

Janet got dressed and after she used the bathroom and snuck out of their bedroom to make some coffee. She figured that when she put a fresh cup of coffee on the bedside table he will wake shortly. The coffee pot worked fast and within minutes there was a hot pot of coffee brewed. She made hers and Eddie's cup, dropped his in their room and then took her own cup out on the balcony.

She had been enjoying her coffee and the view for about ten minutes when the door off the living room opened and Hannah stepped out with her own cup of coffee. "Good morning." Janet greeted her friend.

"Good morning." Hannah took the seat next to Janet.

"I'm sorry for my reaction to your pregnancy yesterday." Janet said after a few minutes of silence. "I am really happy for you, Nick and Sam. I told Eddie last night that I can't wait to plan your baby shower. When you told me about the baby the only thing that I could think of was my baby that we lost and I reacted badly."

"It was selfish of me to spring it on you like I did but I knew when I started puking that you would know and I wanted to be the one to tell you and honestly it was killing me not telling you."

"How long have you known?"

"A couple of weeks. I wanted to tell you the instant I saw the two pink lines. I wanted to tell you before I told Nick but I was afraid to hurt you, I felt like I would be hurting you if I told you but I hurt you anyway and I'm sorry for that."

"You didn't hurt me Hannah. I'm still hurting over my miscarriage but it doesn't mean that I can't be happy for you, which I am."

"Janet, that means the world to me." The woman stood and embraced and that's what Eddie walked out to see and he grinned.

* * *

The week the four friends, Max and Sam spent together was one of the most memorable weeks that they had ever had. Every morning after a couple pots of coffee they split up. Eddie and Nick spent mornings out on the boat fishing while Janet, Hannah, Max and Sam spent the morning at the pool. Usually in late afternoon they would all join up again. Some days they would spend the days out on the lake in the boat tubing or water skiing and by weeks end Janet was skiing. When they weren't on the lake they spent the afternoon at the pool. Janet got the biggest kick out of watching the thin, bikini wearing, sun- bathing beauties faces whenever Eddie walked into the pool area wearing only his swim trunks. They were totally checking him out and he knew it. Their faces were priceless when Eddie walked over to where Janet was stretched out on a chair reading a book and kissed her. Halfway through their week, they ventured to an indoor water park where they had a blast. They rode every waterslide there, multiple times. The day was full of laughter and lots of fun.

Their evenings were spent relaxing in their condo. Max and Sam would plant themselves in front of the television in their room and play the x-box while the adults sat around the table playing games, mainly card games. During those games it was discovered that everyone was very competitive with each other, no matter how the teams were set up. There were some pretty intense battles but in the end the games ended with laughter. One night Eddie and Janet managed to steal some time alone out on the boat fishing that ended with Eddie having his way with Janet on the bathroom counter. First with his head between her legs and her feet on his shoulders and ending with him inside of her and her legs wrapped around his waist. It was a very enjoyable evening for both of them.

* * *

"Do you know what the best part of this vacation was?" Janet mumbled as Eddie nuzzled her neck. The two of them were spending their last late night relaxing in the Jacuzzi bathtub.

"Sleeping in? The days at the pool? The afternoons on the lake? The amazing sex that we have had?"

"All of the above was fantastic, especially the sex."

"Well duh." Eddie quipped with a grin.

"The best part of this week for me was falling asleep and waking up in your arms every day."

"Yeah that was nice but compared to the sex…" Janet turned her body so she could look at him.

"I've been thinking."

"About?"

"This week, I've gotten used to being with you everyday so maybe when we get home we can make it a permanent situation."

"Are you saying what I think you are saying?"

"If you think that I am saying that we should move in together then yes, that is what I am saying." Janet looked at Eddie. He wasn't saying anything and she began to get nervous. "If you think that it's too soon then…" Janet never finished her sentence. Eddie pulled her wet, naked body to his and kissed her. "Is that a yes?" Janet asked breathlessly when they broke apart.

"That is most definitely a yes. I've been thinking about moving in for awhile now and especially this week. I wanted to bring it up but I was afraid that you would think it was too soon and I didn't want to push you into something that you weren't ready for."

"Is it too soon?"

"I don't think that it is. Before we got here we were practically spending every night together and this week, like you I loved sleeping next to you every night and I'm not ready to return to my bed, alone."

"So we're really doing this?"

"We are." Janet squealed in excitement and hugged Eddie. "So whose house is going to become our house?" Janet pulled back and looked at him.

"Well your place has you, Phil and Pizza Girl. My place just has me."

"Your place it is." Eddie brushed Janet's wet hair off of her face. "I can't wait to start our life together when we get home." He told her, his voice full of tenderness.

"Me too babe." The two shared another kiss, sealing the deal.

* * *

"Can you turn the air conditioning off?" Max asked from the back seat of Eddie's truck. "I'm freezing."

"It's on low." Eddie answered.

"Let me get you a blanket." Janet unbuckled her seatbelt, leaned over and found a blanket. "Here you go." As Janet placed the blanket over Max her hand brushed up against his skin. "Oh my God Eddie, he is burning up."

"What?"

"He has a fever. Where is your first aid kit?"

"Under your seat." Janet pulled the kit out from under her seat, found the generic thermometer and stuck it on Max's head.

"What hurts Max?" Janet softly asked him.

"Everything."

"When did it start?"

"Last night."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I dunno."

"How far away from home are we?"

"We are about two hours outside of Boston. Is he okay?"

"I don't think so. Look there is a sign for a hospital. Maybe we should head there, just in case." Eddie nodded tightly and switched lanes as Janet pulled the thermometer off of Max's head. "103 Eddie."

"Damn." He muttered.

"I'm calling your mom." Janet had both of Eddie's parent's number's in her cell. They were due to arrive home until the next day.

"Hey Janet. Are you guys home?" Judee answered.

"No we're not. Something is wrong with Max. He has a fever of 103. He says everything hurts."

"When did this start?"

"He said last night but he didn't tell me. He has spent most of the trip home sleeping but I thought that he was just worn out from the week."

"How far away are you guys from home?"

"We're about two hours outside of Boston."

"I don't think he should wait that long. Is there a hospital anywhere near where you guys are?"

"We're already in route. We thought just in case."

"I think that it's a good idea. Can I talk to him?"

"Sure." Janet handed her phone to Max. "Hey Max, your mom is on the phone. She wants to talk to you."

"What did she say?" Eddie asked softly.

"She wants us to go to the hospital." After a few minutes Max handed the phone back to Janet who instructed her to have the doctor at the hospital to call her when they get there so she could give them Max's medical history and in the meantime she was going to make arrangements to fly home.

After Janet hung up with Judee she called Hannah to explain the detour. She told them to head home but they insisted on staying with them, something Janet was grateful for. After she hung up with Hannah, they rode in silence until they found the hospital.

Thankfully, the emergency room wasn't busy and Max was taken right back. Once they got to the hospital Janet noticed that Max's poor feet were swollen, twice their normal size, something Janet knew was not good. The doctor called when they arrived and she told him Max's medical history, including his congenital heart problems and within an hour they knew what was going on.

"Max has endocarditis, which is an infection in his heart." The doctor told them.

"How did that happen?" Janet asked.

"Max has a history of heart problems due to his Down Syndrome. He's had a couple of heart surgeries which makes him prone to this type of infection. According to his mother, this is the third time that he has gotten this."

"So what can you do for my brother? Will he be okay?" Eddie asked as he reached for Janet's hand.

"He will be fine. We are getting him started on IV antibiotics and he will be on them for the next forty eight hours. Your mother has asked that Max be transferred to Boston Memorial by ambulance so he can be closer to home. We are making these arrangements now and will let you know when everything is in order."

"Thank you doctor." Janet told him.

"Can we see him?"

"Absolutely." They were standing outside of Max's room. The doctor smiled and walked away.

"Are you okay?" Janet asked Eddie once they were alone. He pulled Janet to his chest and hugged her tightly.

"I was really scared Janet. When they started talking about Max's heart I got really scared. If something would happen to him…"

"He's going to be fine Eddie."

"I know but seeing him like this it reminds me that he could get really sick and die and the thought of …"

"Shh. You can't think like that baby."

"I know."

"Now let me see your brave face." Eddie pulled away and looked at Janet. "There you go. Now get in there and see your brother. I'm going to update Nick and Hannah and then I'll be in."

"I am so glad you were here with me and I know that Max is glad that you are here too."

"There is nowhere else I would be."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

Six hours later, Max was in his own private room at Boston General along with Eddie, Janet, Max who Judee who had arrived about a half an hour ago. "You two look exhausted. Why don't you guys head home?" Judee told them.

"You sure?" Eddie looked at his brother and saw that he looked very content.

"Yes go. You two have been amazing. Thank you for everything." She and Mitch hugged Eddie and his girlfriend.

"All right Max. We are out of here but we will come back to see you tomorrow okay?" Eddie glanced at Janet who nodded in agreement. Eddie went over and hugged his brother. "Now don't give the nurses a hard time."

"I won't."

"I love you brother."

"I love you too." Now it was Janet's turn. Eddie moved away from the bed and Janet went over and hugged Max.

"I'm really glad you are feeling better." Janet told him.

"Me too."

"You gave us quite a scare mister."

"Sorry."

"Don't let it happen again." Max grinned and nodded. Janet leaned down and kissed his head. "Sleep well Max."

"I love you Janet."

"I love you too Max." After a few more hugs Janet and Eddie made their way out of the hospital.

"So where did you park?" Eddie asked. Max was scared to ride in the ambulance by himself so Eddie rode with him while Janet drove his truck.

"The top. It's the only place big enough to park your truck and boat." They stepped into the elevator and Eddie hit the button. "I wasn't going to risk denting your precious truck or your parent's boat."

"Smart thinking babe because I would hate to have to kill you for hurting my baby."

"Suddenly I feel second best." The elevator stopped, the door opened and the two of them stepped out onto the roof.

"You're just now figuring that out?" Janet playfully punched him in the arm."You are my number one baby, you always will be."

"You really look exhausted. Do you just want to get a hotel room tonight since we are coming back in the morning?"

"No. I wanna go home. To our home, that is if you hadn't changed your mind."

"I haven't changed my mind. I want to live with you." Janet stood onto her tiptoes and kissed the man she loved. "Let's go home." She whispered when they broke apart.

"Let's go home." Eddie confirmed.


	18. Chapter 18

**I own none of the characters of October Road **

Eddie didn't get moved in right away. Since the day he returned from vacation, he moved in with Janet, meaning he didn't return to his house to sleep but it took him about a week before he would consider himself officially moved in and until that point he just lived out of his suitcase. Their first day home from vacation was spent at the hospital in Boston, visiting with Max so nothing was moved. In the week that followed, Eddie would bring over a couple of small things on his way home from work. Janet made a space in her bedroom or now, their bedroom for his dresser when it finally got moved. Her bathroom was now their bathroom and its cabinets and counters were now filled with his stuff and half of her closet was empty, waiting for it to be filled with his clothes.

When Ikey heard that Eddie was moving out and in with Janet he offered to take Eddie's place on Gleason Street which was fine with Eddie. It made moving out a little easier knowing that Phil would be taken care of. Ikey and Phil would pay Eddie the rent and he would take care of anything that the house needed. The weekend after Eddie left his suitcase in Janet's bedroom Eddie officially moved while Janet worked. He spent Saturday packing and moving his stuff out of his old home into his new home or to a storage unit. Janet's house was small and only had one bedroom and not a lot of room for all of his stuff so what didn't fit in Janet's house went to storage would be taken out when the two of them bought a house together. On Sunday Eddie spent the day helping Ikey move out of his mother's house to the house on Gleason.

Like any new couple that began living with each other, there were adjustments that needed to be made. For example, Eddie needed to learn to be quiet during the mornings that Janet didn't work so she could sleep in. He also needed to learn to wipe the sink out after he shaved. Janet almost lost her mind when she saw all of the hair in her bathroom sink. He also had a habit of leaving the toilet seat up and a couple times Janet fell in which didn't make her happy. The biggest adjustment that Janet had to make was she needed to relax. She had a tendency to freak out if the bed wasn't made, or if dishes were left in the sink and she would never relax around Eddie. She was constantly waiting on him, not that he minded but he didn't want their relationship to be like that. They were equals and he wanted it to stay that way. All it took was one big wallop of a fight for their differences to be brought to light.

Two weeks after he was officially moved in Eddie had decided to come home for lunch and he brought Nick, Ikey, and Ronnie with him. Janet was scheduled to work the late shift at the hotel so it also served as an extra opportunity to get his smooch on with his live-in girlfriend since he wouldn't see her until late that night.

* * *

Janet was in the basement, looking for a shirt and finding two possibilities she came upstairs and into the kitchen where Eddie, Nick, Ronnie, and Ikey stood and she was wearing no top; just her bra. First shock, then embarrassment and finally anger were the emotions everyone saw cross her face in a matter of seconds. Thankfully Nick, Ronnie and Ikey had the grace to turn away from her while Eddie shielded her with his body. He knew how embarrassed she was.

"Janet I didn't…" Eddie began when they were safely behind their closed bedroom door.

"Just shut up." She seethed, cutting him off. "I don't want to hear it." She was angrily putting on one of the shirts she brought up.

"I'm sorry." Janet slipped on her shoes.

"I've gotta get to work."

"Babe…"

"I will see you later." Janet brushed past him, threw open their bedroom door and stormed off.

Once Janet was gone Eddie returned to the kitchen and looked at each of his friends. "Whatever you saw here today does not leave this house." His voice was a tad menacing.

"What are you talking about?" Nick asked. "I didn't see anything."

"Yeah. Me either." Ronnie and Ikey chimed in.

"Good answer."

Throughout the day Eddie sent Janet text messages and most of the time she didn't respond and if she did respond they were short, one worded answers like "Yeah." "Nope." "K." and "Whatever." He finally gave up and just decided to wait until she got home to talk about what had happened.

When Janet finally did come home it was after ten and she walked in to find Eddie on the couch playing a video game. She didn't even greet him. She stalked straight past him and into their bedroom. Eddie sighed and figured he would give her a few minutes to chill out before attempting to talk to her. After a few minutes Janet came out of their room, clothes changed and she headed for the kitchen and it didn't take long before he heard her slamming things around. With a sigh, he ended the game and went to face her.

"What did that plate do to you?" Eddie smarted when she slammed it into the dishwasher and she turned around to glare at him.

"Keep your smart ass comments to yourself. I am not in the mood."

"Are you really that corked over what happened today? It was an accident."

"An accident that would never have happened if you would have called first."

"So what? Now I'm supposed to call and ask permission to bring my friends home for lunch? I moved out of my parents house a long time ago Janet. This is now my house too, the place where I live and I should not have to ask if I can bring my friends over."

"It's not about asking permission. I don't care if your friends come over. They are welcome any time. All that I'm asking is for a little consideration. A freaking phone call would have been nice and then I wouldn't have come upstairs without my shirt on." She yelled.

"It could have been worse. You could have been without your bra." He smiled and Janet fumed. "It's not like today was the first time any of them has seen a beautiful woman in a bra before."

"Is this some kind of joke to you Eddie because I am not laughing?"

"I know it's not a joke but babe, it really wasn't a big deal. It was just Ikey, Nicky, and Ronnie."

"It is a big deal Eddie. You know how I feel about myself and I don't want anyone to see me in my bra but you. Now every time I see them or they see me…"

"It won't be an issue. As far as they are concerned nothing happened."

"But something did happen which could have been avoided with some consideration and speaking of consideration is it really that hard to be considerate and put your damn dishes in the dishwasher?"

"Janet what is this really about?"

"There is no hidden agenda here. It's really about you putting your dirty dishes in the dishwasher. It's about you not cleaning up the sink after you shave. It's about putting the damn toilet seat down. Really how hard is that?"

"Maybe if you weren't so damn anal about everything than maybe I would put my dishes in the dishwasher." Eddie snapped.

"What in the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"I put my dishes in the dishwasher and you don't like the way I do it so you do it all again without showing me how you want it. It's a dishwasher Janet. It really doesn't matter what goes where."

"Yes it does. You can't put pots on the top because if you do…"

"See what I mean? And it's not just the dishwasher. I don't make the bed the way you like so instead of showing me, you just do it yourself and then get pissed off at me when I don't do it. In fact you get all pissy because you feel like you are doing everything and I am doing nothing and sure, it might be true but it's your own fault babe. You don't let me do anything. I'm surprised that you are letting me wipe my own ass. I am not a child. I can do things on my own. I want to help out around here. Why won't you let me?" Eddie noticed that Janet was trying not to smile. "What's so funny?"

"You couldn't pay me enough money to wipe your ass." Janet told him and in spite of himself, Eddie grinned.

"You wouldn't do it if I was physically incapable of doing it myself?"

"No way." They both looked at each other and burst out laughing. "Did we just get in a fight over household chores?" Janet managed to ask once they quit laughing.

"I think that we did. Let's work this out so it doesn't happen again." The couple linked hands and went to the couch. "First of all, I am really sorry about today. I understand why you got as upset as you did. I realize that I should have called first to give you a heads up."

"I don't ever want you to feel like you have to get my permission to bring your friends over. This is your house too and they are welcome anytime. The only thing I am asking for some advance notice."

"I get that and from this point on, you will always get a phone call from me."

"You have no idea how much that means to me. I don't think you understand how embarrassed I was this afternoon. I am not the most confident woman in the world and you are the only man who I am comfortable with seeing me in my bra or without and today, not only did you see me but so did three of your friends and I know what Ikey used to call me; "Janet The Planet" and the fact that he..." Eddie reached out and cupped her cheek.

"I know that Ikey has been an asshole in the past but he has grown up a lot in the past couple of years and to him, you aren't "Janet The Planet" anymore. You are his friend, my girlfriend and the woman who has made me happier than I have ever been. I'm sorry that he hurt you in the past but you don't have to worry about what happened today being ammunition."

"You can't know that." She whispered softly. It had been a long time since Eddie had seen Janet show this much vulnerability. Eddie pulled Janet to his chest and cradled her.

"I do know that. I had a talk with the guys and they didn't see anything."

"Did you threaten them?"

"I didn't have to. They respect you. They respect me and they would never hurt us by running their mouths."

"Thank you." She whispered.

"Babe, look at me." Janet turned her head on Eddie's chest so she could look at them. "You are positively the most beautiful woman that I have ever seen." Tears filled her eyes. "You are so beautiful sweetheart, so beautiful."

"I never believed that until you told me that night at Sully's, in front of everyone."

"It's a shame that you didn't believe it before then. Do you still believe that?"

"I do."

"I'm glad. Do you believe that I love you?"

"That is something that I never doubt. I love you. You know that right?"

"I am surer of that than I am of anything." A tear slipped from eye and Eddie leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers until they could no longer breathe.

"Okay. If you keep that up we won't ever talk about our fight." Janet gasped when they broke apart.

"Here is my side. I can see why it pisses you off about my hair in the sink and in my defense since you yelled at me that first morning, I have been cleaning out the sink."

"Yes you have and I thank you for it."

"Now to be honest, for years, I have lived with a shut-in who kinda took care of a lot in the house. He would do the dishes, pick up and stuff like that and I got used to it. Sure, Phyz would complain and I would tell him to just leave whatever it was alone and I would take care of it but he always did it and it made him happy so who was I to ruin the happiness of my friend." Janet rolled her eyes.

"You are unbelievable."

"Seriously though, I am not a person who likes to waited on and that's what you have been doing Janet. I have been doing my laundry for years. You don't have to do it for me. I know how to use a dust rag and run a vacuum. Let me do it. I want us to clean up after dinner together and laugh. I want to clean the house with on Saturdays instead of sitting on the couch watching you while you insist that you have it handled. I want to come home to my girlfriend not a maid."

"I've never lived with a guy before."

"I've never lived with a woman besides my mom before Janet."

"I guess that I am so scared of screwing things up that I am over compensating."

"So you think that I would be more likely to stay around if you are doing EVERYTHING for me?" She nodded meekly. "That's stupid Janet."

"Yeah I know and I honestly didn't realize that I was doing it until we actually sat down and talked. I'm just… so scared."Janet sighed. "I don't want to ruin this and us." She whispered so softly, he barely heard it.

"Babe, you and me. We are solid. Nothing can ruin us."

"Promise?"

"I promise." Eddie sealed his promise with a kiss. "Now I need you to do something for me."

"What?"

"Relax."

"I do relax. In fact I usually relax with you multiple times a week." She told him with a wink.

"I am well aware of that type of relaxation but that's not the type of relaxation I am talking about. Babe, the world will not end if our bed is not made or if the dinner dishes aren't done right after dinner."

"That is not my fault. My father was in the military and up until I was thirteen I was an army brat. Lillian and I were raised like we were the ones in the military. Every morning as soon as we were out of bed it got made. Every time we dirtied a dish it got washed, even if was just a glass of milk. Eighteen plus years of having that ingrained in my brain is something that isn't so easy to change. Our house was run like a military base. Can you give me some time and maybe a few friendly reminders and I promise that I will get less uptight."

"I can do that and just so you know, I had every intention of putting my dinner dishes in the dishwasher before I went to bed."

"I know you would have."

"Now about this whole toilet seat issue, why is always the guys' responsibility to put it down? Why can't the girl put it up after she is done?"

"Did you ever win that argument with your mother?"

"Never."

"Then what makes you think that you will win this argument with me?"

"You're sweeter than my mom."

"Nice try Latekka. How about a compromise?"

"I can compromise."

"I will make every effort to check the toilet seat before sitting down if you make every effort to put it up and if I fall in than it's my own fault."

"Now that I can live with." They grinned at each other. "So it seems that we resolved our first fight as a co-habituating couple." Eddie said after a moment of silence.

"Yes it does seem that way. Hopefully we got it out of the way and it won't happen again."

"So now we officially end the fight with make-up sex."

"Sorry, I love you but it's not happening dude." Janet broke from Eddie's embrace and stood.

"What? Why not?" Janet walked away to lock up the house for the night.

"I have a headache." She told him with a wink and Eddie groaned as he got to his feet.

"But Janet, it's make up sex. A requirement after a fight." Eddie was falling Janet around like a puppy.

"Honey we are living together now. Sex goes on the back burner, ya know, like once a week." Janet turned off the living room lights and went into their bedroom.

"Wait just one damn minute." Eddie practically growled. "The main reason I moved in here was so we could have sex all the time." Janet faked outrage.

"Excuse me? I thought we moved in together because we loved each other."

"Well there is that too but mainly the sex." Janet laughed as she got out her pajamas. "You're serious about not having sex aren't you?" He couldn't believe that she didn't want to have make love.

"Yes. I'm serious."

"Why?" He whined.

"It's late Eddie and we both have to get up early for work."

"That's never stopped you before."

"I started today Eddie." He gave her a blank look.

"Started what?"

"My period."

"Oh." Eddie was suddenly reminded of the fact that Janet would not have sex while on her period. "Oh. Why didn't you tell me? Why did you have to torture me?"

"Because it's fun." Janet quickly kissed him and went into the bathroom.

Fifteen minutes later, they were lying in bed, arms wrapped around each other, kissing softly. After one final kiss, Janet settled her head on Eddie's chest and closed her eyes. She was almost asleep when she heard his voice. "You said earlier now that we are living together that sex will go on the back burner."

"I was kidding Eddie."

"I know but I want you to know that sex with you will never, ever be on the back burner. I am always going to want to make love to you as often as I can."

"You say that know but life will happen and get in the way of the best laid plans."

"That is not going to happen. I promise you that."

"I'll hold you too that."

"You do that. I have never broken a promise to you and I sure as hell am not going to start now." A slow smile spread across Janet's face as she drifted off to sleep in Eddie's arms.

* * *

"Wow. I feel like I have just traveled back in time to a high school dance." Janet mumbled, squeezing Eddie's hand as they walked into the gym of their former high school for their reunion. The ten year reunion was cancelled due to an emergency roof repair two years ago. There had been a lot of rain that summer and the roof was old and ended up collapsing right before their reunion so here they were two years later, standing in the gym, taking it in. The gym really did remind them of a high school dance. It was decorated, just like the dances the attended during high school with balloons and streamers. The only difference was there were tables, chairs and alcohol. There most definitely was no alcohol at their high school dances, or at least there wasn't supposed to be.

"Hopefully this won't be as lame as those dances were." Eddie said.

"Oh please. I saw you at the dances. You had fun."

"You watched me?"

"Every girl in our class watched you Latekka but the only girl you watched back was Rory." Janet was right. During high school, he only had eyes for Rory and now, he regrets that. Sure, he knew who Janet was; they had a few classes together every year and he always said hi but that was about the extent of it and now he wished it was more. He wished that he taken the time to get to know her then.

"And now, the only girl I have eyes for is you." He leaned down and kissed his girl.

"Damn straight."

"Come on. Let's get a drink and get this party started."

During the next few hours the senior class of twelve years ago talked, laughed, danced and drank. Half the class stayed in town while the other half had moved out of town so it was a great chance for everyone to catch up. It seemed to Janet, that the part of the class that was married were very accepting of Eddie and Janet's relationship whereas the still single people scoffed at their relationship but Janet wasn't bothered in the least by it. She knew exactly where she stood in Eddie's life and that was all that mattered to her.

Janet was at the bar getting another drink, not that she needed one because she had already had way too much to drink, and when she turned around she almost ran into and spilled the drinks on Rory Dunlap. "Oh. I'm sorry." Janet said.

"It's all good. Nothing was spilled." Rory smiled sweetly at Janet. "Look, I'm really glad that you almost ran into me."

"Really?"

"I wish I would have caught you a few drinks ago but there is no time like the present. I owe you a long overdue apology."

"You do?"

"I want to apologize for the part I played in what happened between you and Eddie."

"I appreciate that but you have nothing to apologize for. Eddie didn't tell you that he had a girlfriend. You kissed him and he kissed you back while he was dating someone else. He screwed up and so did I. When you came to the bar and told me that Eddie looked sad I should have told you that my boyfriend wasn't sad or at least he wasn't when he left my house that morning. Eddie and I both made mistakes, a lot of mistakes that day and we learned from them, moved on and now we are better than ever so I guess that I should be thanking you."

"Thanking me? I kissed your boyfriend."

"I was very unsure of where I stood in Eddie's life back then simply because I wasn't like any woman he had ever dated before; I wasn't like you."

"I believe that was one of the biggest reason's Eddie was attracted to you." Janet smiled at that comment.

"You're surprise arrival back in town was the catalyst that Eddie and I needed. Sure, the result was we broke up but we took some time, figured out what we did wrong, what we did right and we got back together and this time around, I'm not afraid to tell him how I feel. I am more confident in myself and in him and I know exactly where I stand in his life. He loves me and I love him and I don't ever see that changing."

"Is everything okay over here?" Any other guy would have felt nervous about the fact that his ex and current girlfriend were having what looked like a very serious conversation but not Eddie. He knew Rory wasn't being malicious and he knew his Janet could hold her own.

"I was just telling Janet how happy I was for the two of you." Rory gave Janet a slight nod.

"Thank you Rory." Janet told her. Eddie grinned and wrapped and arm around Janet's shoulders and she handed him the drink she had for him.

"So who is the lucky guy that is escorting you tonight?" Eddie asked. Everyone had noticed the stranger that was with the recently replanted model.

"A friend from New York."

"A friend huh?"

"So far yes but maybe…"

"Well good luck with that."

"I should get back to him. Janet, it was really nice talking to you."

"You too Rory."

"Are you okay sweetheart?" Eddie asked as Rory walked away and Janet downed her beer.

"Yep. I'm great."

All night the DJ had been playing songs that were popular during their senior year of high school and just as Eddie and Janet arrived back at their table a new song came on, a song that jogged a memory of something Janet once said to him. He took her drink out of her hand, placed it on the table, grabbed her hand and led her to the dance floor.

"Eddie?"

"I want to dance with you."

"Really?" Eddie nodded. They found a spot on the dance floor, wrapped their arms around each other and Janet laid her head on his shoulder. "This was one of my favorite songs back in high school." Janet told him as Boyz ii Men "End of the Road" played through the speakers.

"I remember. The night after I got into that fight with the guy from The Duf, we had a conversation."

"I remember that conversation."

"Did Jimmy Wiper really not dance with you because you had a pimple?"

"Who knows? He didn't dance with me and I had a pimple so that is the conclusion I came too. I remember standing off to the side, alone watching all of the couples dancing to this song."

"Well he's an idiot for not dancing with you but if he would have then maybe something would have come of "Janet and Jimmy" and you may have ended up marrying him and did you see him Janet? He's creepy looking. His hair is long and greasy. He's all tatted up and he's really, really overweight."

"I saw and I thanked my lucky stars that you are my date tonight and not him."

"Me too babe."

They finished the rest of the dance in silence and when the song ended the next one started Eddie and Janet grinned at each other. As "Paradise By The Dashboard Light" filtered through the gym. This was classic, well loved song of their class plus it was now the most sung song during karaoke night at Sully's but no one has been able to compare to the night Nick and Eddie sang it with Nick singing the girl part. They both were pretty pathetic and by the end of the song, the entire bar was laughing hysterically.

It seemed that everyone in the gym game out on the dance floor and like they did at every high school dance the guys went to one side and the girls went to the other side of the gym floor. When the song began everyone began to sing and dance. When the song broke into the separate guy and girl parts each side of the gym began to sing or yell the appropriate line to the opposite side, a tradition that started their freshman year. From his spot Eddie had the perfect view of Janet and he couldn't get over how beautiful she looked, smiling, singing and dancing and when the song ended and he walked over at the end of the song and took his girl in his arms, he knew that he was the luckiest in the world.

After another hour and a half, more dancing, mingling and drinking the evening drew to a close. They said goodbye to old and current friends and Eddie led his intoxicated girlfriend to his truck. She was in the talkative and giggling stage. She giggled the whole way to the truck and by the time Eddie was helping her into the truck she was laughing hard because she was having issues climbing into the truck.

"Did you have fun sweetheart?" Eddie asked her, once his truck was on its way home.

"I had so much fun. I had a lot more fun tonight than I ever had in high school. Do you ever wish that you had a crystal ball? I do. I wish I would have had a crystal ball back in high school. I would have used it to see into the future." Suddenly she began to giggle. "Of course I would have used it to see the future. What else would I have used the crystal ball for? Anyways, if I would have known that twelve years after I graduated from high school I would be at the reunion with the most popular guy in our class as my date, as my boyfriend maybe high school, the fact that I didn't have many friends, the fact that I never had a boyfriend, would have been easier."

"Do you ever wonder what our lives would have been like had we dated in high school?" She was not stopping to take a breath. "You would still have been the star of the football team and the most popular guy in school so your life wouldn't have changed but mine would have been so much better. I might not have been popular but I would have had a boyfriend. We would have ate lunch together every day and we would have gone to every single dance together. I never would have gone to a dance stag. I wouldn't have been alone because I would have had you by my side."

"Hind sight is twenty twenty babe." Eddie whispered softly.

"I know that but I can dream can't I?" Eddie pulled into their driveway, shut off the truck and turned to look at Janet who had been facing him.

"I think that we had to live the lives that we lived to end up here. Back in high school I don't think that I would have been capable of seeing the woman that I love so much today."

"You wouldn't have been able to see past the chubby girl with the frizzy hair and glasses." Her voice was soft and sad. Eddie reached out and cupped her cheek in his hand.

"You're right sweetheart. I wouldn't have seen past your outer appearance simply because I was a stupid teenage boy whose only concern was maintaining the standard of a cool football player and part of that standard was dating a cheerleader and that's all I saw." He leaned over and kissed her. "I'm not that stupid teenage boy anymore Janet and the only thing I see when I look at you is beauty."

"Given the opportunity, I probably never would have dated you."

"Yeah right Janet. If I would have asked you out in high school you would have jumped on it and probably me."

"Awfully cocky aren't you Latekka?"

"No. I just happen to know that I was the most desirable man at Knights Ridge High when I was there." Janet laughed. She couldn't argue with that.

"You're right babe. If we would have dated back in high school, we probably wouldn't be here and I would much rather be here then the cafeteria at lunch." This time Janet was the one that leaned forward and kissed Eddie.

"So much better than the cafeteria." Eddie mumbled when they broke apart.

"I've gotta pee." Janet said suddenly pulling away from Eddie.

"Okay, let me…" Janet was out of the car before Eddie could offer his assistance. An unsteady Janet got out of the truck, leaving her purse. Eddie grabbed her purse, got out of the truck. Just as he rounded Janet's side of the truck, he heard her cry out and saw her fall to the ground. "Janet?"

"My heel broke." Janet groaned.

"Are you okay?" He knelt down beside her.

"My ankle." Eddie reached for her ankle and even in the dark, he could see the swelling. He quickly slid her broken shoe off and began to look at her foot, pressing and moving it. "Ow. Ah. Stop it. Ow." Janet complained.

"Okay babe. Let's get you up." Eddie pulled Janet to her feet. "Can you put any weight on it?"

"Yeah. I'm fine." The instant Janet put her weight on her bad ankle she cried out.

"You're not fine sweetheart. Lean on me and I will help you in." Eddie wrapped an arm around Janet's waist and together, the two of them limped into the house. "Let's get you in bed to rest that ankle."

"I gotta pee."

"Right." Eddie helped Janet to the bathroom.

"Oh my God. This is so embarrassing." She mumbled as Eddie helped her onto the toilet.

"You've got nothing to be embarrassed about. Now while you do your business I'm going to get some ice and an ace bandage. I'll be back in a few." Eddie kissed Janet's head and left her to take care of her business. When he returned five minutes later, he found Janet still on the toilet but now instead of sitting straight up she was leaning against the wall with her eyes closed. "Janet?" He whispered softly. When she didn't respond he placed his hand on her shoulder and she jumped in surprise.

"I'm tired." She told him.

"I know. Let's get you to bed." Eddie started to help her but she shook her head.

"I can do it." Standing up with all of her weight on one foot she pulled her underwear up and limped to bed, with Eddie right behind her, in case she needed him. Without changing out of her dress she collapsed in bed.

"All right hon, I'm going to prop your ankle up." He had brought in the pillows from the living room. "I'm going to wrap your ankle up and put come ice on it."

"Is it broken?"

"Can you bend it?" Slowly and painfully Janet bent her ankle. "I don't think it's broken."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm no doctor but I've had a few twisted ankles in my day so in my experience, I don't think that it's broken but if it's worse in the morning I'll take you to the hospital." Janet nodded sleepily. "Now you go to sleep and let me take care of you." She didn't argue. She just closed her eyes and Eddie began to carefully wrap her ankle.

"Eddie?" Janet mumbled just as Eddie finished up. He was surprised because he thought that she had fallen asleep.

"Yeah?"

"Do you love me?" Eddie placed her foot on the pillow and then went to sit next to her on the bed.

"More than anything."

"Will you love me forever?" Eddie grinned. Janet was quoting "Paradise By The Dashboard Light."

"Forever." He affirmed.

"Do you need me?"

"More than the air I breathe."

"Will you never leave me?"

"Never."

"Will you make me so happy for the rest of my life?"

"The happiest."

"Will you take me away; will you make me your wife?"

"Yes Janet. I am going to make you my wife one day." Eddie looked lovingly at the woman, lying on the bed with closed his. He knew that she was drunk and probably wouldn't remember this conversation in the morning which saddened him because he wanted her to remember how much he loved her and the fact that he was never going to leave her but he was glad that she would not remember because he wasn't prepared to propose.

He has been thinking of marriage and their engagement for quite some time. There was no doubt in Eddie Latekka's mind that he wanted and planned to marry Janet. He had known it for awhile. The question that was weighing on his mind was when to pop the question. Soon after he moved in with Janet he began the process of buying an engagement ring. He applied for and got a new credit card just for the purpose of buying Janet's ring and he made sure that the bill would be sent to Best Friend Windows so that way Janet wouldn't accidently intercept the bill. He was old fashioned that way. He has even spent a few of his lunch hours browsing around different jewelry stores engagement rings which wasn't helping matters any. He was so lost. He had no idea how many engagement rings there were to choose from. He saw a few that caught his eye but he just wasn't sure and he couldn't risk screwing up and buying the wrong ring for the woman he loved.

Janet had been so firm about taking things slow so they wouldn't risk ruining things but how slow was too slow? Was she thinking that he was taking too long and that's why she brought up the song? What about if he proposed now and she thought it was too soon and as a result he lost her or what if she is waiting for him to propose and because he doesn't she decides to move on but the one question that he kept returning to was what if he proposed and she said yes? All of his dreams would come true with one simple word; yes. He was so confused. He knew what he wanted; he just didn't know how long he had to wait to let Janet in on his plan.

_**Just a shout out to those faithful that are still keeping OR alive by reading these stories. Thanks so much. **_

_**BTW- if you want to review I won't stop you! **_


	19. Chapter 19

**I own none of the characters of October Road**

The morning after the reunion Eddie had his standing Sunday morning date with Max. Usually on her weekends off Janet went with him because Max loved it when Janet came with his brother but this morning, Eddie decided to let Janet sleep off the fun from the night before. She is no fun with a hangover and he also needed some alone time with his dad. He needed fatherly advice. As quietly as he could he climbed out of bed, showered and got dressed. He went to the kitchen for some breakfast but decided that he wasn't in the mood to cook but he was hungry so he made the decision that he would go to his parent's early and let his mom volunteer to make her son breakfast and if she didn't volunteer he would guilt her into it. He was good at that. Before leaving he had to say goodbye to the sweet woman, lying on their bed. Sitting on the bed, he leaned over and gently kissed her neck. She sighed but continued sleeping but Eddie doesn't give up easily. He kissed her again and this time, with a little bit of tongue action Janet's eyes finally fluttered opened and she moaned softly. "Good morning beautiful." He whispered.

"Morning." She croaked.

"How are you feeling?"

"Like hell."

"I figured. How is your ankle?"

"Throbbing along with my head."

"I brought you something for that." Eddie opened his fist and showed Janet the pain relievers he was holding on to.

"I knew there was a reason that I loved you." She quickly took the pills. "Why are you dressed? I thought that we would hang around in bed relaxing."

"It's Sunday."

"Right. Sunday. I'll be ready shortly." Janet started to pull herself up but Eddie stopped her.

"You stay home today and get some rest."

"But Max, he's expecting me."

"I'll deal with Max. You rest."

"If you're sure?" Janet asked settling back on her pillows. She was too tired to argue.

"I'm sure." Eddie kissed her head and stood. "I love you."

"Love you too." She mumbled.

* * *

"Hey is anyone home?" Eddie called as he let himself into his parent's house. Just as he got the last word out, Max was running out to greet him.

"Eddie!" Max threw his arms around his big brother.

"Hey Max." Eddie hugged his brother back.

"Where's Janet?" Max asked.

"I'm here. Isn't that good enough?"

"Yeah but I like it when Janet comes with you."

"You're early." Judee commented to her oldest child as she joined her boys in the foyer.

"Yeah. I was up so I just decided to come over."

"Where is Janet?" Judee asked, looking around.

"At home, sleeping. We had a late night."

"Oh yeah. Your reunion was last night wasn't it?" Eddie nodded. "Ahh, so someone had a little too much fun." Judee stated with a grin.

"Maybe a little." Eddie confirmed with a grin. "She works hard and deserves a little fun."

"Of course she does."

"And the heel on her shoe broke and when she fell her ankle twisted and I knew it was hurting and she slept for crap last night so she's sleeping in."

"Janet's hurt?" Max asked, his voice, full of concern.

"She'll be fine Max." Eddie said as he began to sniff the air. "Do I smell breakfast?"

"Mom made our traditional Sunday morning breakfast; pancakes, eggs, and bacon."

"There may be a little left; a few bacon crumbs, a half a pancake and a scramble of an egg." Judee told him.

"Not anymore. I finished everything." Mitch announced as he joined his boys and wife.

"Yeah right." Max snorted.

"Come on. I can't let my child starve."

"Thanks mommy." Eddie responded and Judee rolled her eyes and led her son to the kitchen.

After a delicious and filling breakfast Eddie took Max to the local baseball field. The two of them always engaged in a sport and usually it was basketball but since the 4th of July picnic Max has been obsessed with baseball and Eddie didn't mind throwing a ball to his brother. Max rarely hit the ball but he had fun giving it a try.

"Great job today dude." Eddie told Max as he cleaned up their baseball supplies.

"Eddie can you teach me how to kiss a girl?" Max asked and Eddie dropped the bat he was holding.

"Huh?" Eddie was shocked and had no idea what to say.

"I need you to teach me how to kiss a girl."

"I think that is something that you need to talk to dad about."

"Did dad teach you how to kiss Janet?" Eddie grinned.

"Kissing girls isn't something that anyone can teach you. It's just something that you just learn with practice." Eddie picked up the dropped bat. "So I take it that there is a girl that you want to kiss?" Max nodded. "Well tell your big brother about her."

"Tell you what?"

"How about her name?"

"Molly." Eddie grinned as the two of them walked to his truck. It was going to be like pulling teeth to get information about this girl out of his brother.

"What color hair does she have?"

"Blonde."

"Is she pretty?"

"She is really pretty but not as pretty as Janet." Eddie got the biggest kick out of the fact that his brother was head over heels in love with his girl.

"Where do you know Molly from?"

"The center." The center is a place that offered a program for young adults with Down Syndrome. They were taught the basic skills that everyone needed and when they were ready, they helped their clients find jobs.

"Look, you need to have a conversation with both mom and dad about Molly. Promise me that you will talk to mom and dad about Molly and the fact that you want to kiss her. Promise me Max." Eddie demanded.

"I promise Eddie." Max spent the remainder of the ride home talking about Molly, with Eddie's help.

As soon as they got back to their parent's house Judee was heading out to the grocery store and Max wanted to go with her. He loved going to the store with his mother. Before leaving for the store Judee hugged Eddie. "Thanks for coming." Judee told him.

"Thanks for feeding me." Eddie said with a grin.

"Anytime. Will you and Janet be here for dinner on Tuesday?"

"I will be for sure but I don't know if Janet has to work or not. If she's off she will be here."

"Bye Eddie." Max called.

"Don't forget our promise." Eddie reminded him.

"I won't." Max said as he got into his mother's car. "Bye dad." Mitch had come outside.

"Promise?" Judee asked.

"I should give you a heads up."

"Yes you should."

"Max has a crush on a girl from the center."

"Molly?" Eddie looked surprised that his parents knew about the girl.

"Yeah Molly. He asked me today if I would teach him how to kiss a girl."

"Looks like it's about time I had the talk with him." Mitch mumbled.

"I made him promise to talk to you guys about her." Eddie told them.

"Thanks . We appreciate that." Max pressed the horn. "I should go. I'll see you later." Judee kissed Eddie. "Give Janet my love."

"Will do mom." Mitch and Eddie stood on the front lawn until Judee and Max were out of sight. "So do you have time to talk? I could use some advice." Eddie nervously asked his father.

"I always have time for you. Come on." The two men grabbed a beer and made themselves comfortable on the back deck. "So what's on your mind son?" Mitch asked after a few minutes of silence. "So you need to be taught how to kiss a girl?"

"No. I think that I have that down."

"I should hope so." Mitch and Eddie grinned at each other. "What's up Eddie?"

"I…I've been thinking about proposing to Janet."

"Normally that is a good thing but you sound unsure. You can't propose if you have any doubts."

"I don't have any doubts. I want to marry Janet. I am absolutely positive about that."

"Then why do you sound not so positive?" Eddie sighed.

"Because I don't know when to ask her. Since we got back together, Janet has been real adamant about taking things slow which honestly I think that's what we needed to do."

"Your definition of slow and my definition apparently are apparently two different things. You guys got pregnant before you ever got back together."

"That was before we decided to take it slow." A slow smile spread across Eddie's face. "That was more of a heat of the moment thing."

"But now you guys are taking it slow?" Mitch questioned.

"Well not so much anymore but we were."

"You're confusing your old man kiddo."

"Okay when we got back together we decided to take this slow and really get to know each other."

"That sounds like a solid plan. How did it work for you?"

"Good. It was a real good idea. We had a lot that needed to be changed and we both needed to change so things wouldn't go south again and it was nice to be able to do that without adding sex to the mix to complicate things."

"I hope your mother and I didn't complicate things with the vacation."

"Oh no. We were sleeping together by that time." Eddie answered with a grin.

"What I'm getting from you here is that you guys started out slow and now you're not slow anymore. You're living and sleeping together right?" Eddie nodded proudly. "So what I don't get is what does going slow, which you're not anymore, have to do with proposing?"

"The first time we dated we dated for six months. This time we are almost at six months. Six months seems like such a short time to be together to be engaged but technically we have dated for almost a year and I have known her for years so it's really not that soon."

"Right." His dad agreed.

"Last night at the reunion the DJ was playing all the songs that we thought were cool back when we were in school and one of the songs that was played was Paradise By The Dashboard Light. Do you know that song?"

"I am familiar with that song. Hell, boy, that song is older than you are." Mitch informed his son.

"Then you know about when the song breaks into a guy and girl part and the girl is asking the guy does he love her…yada, yada, yada." Mitch nodded. "Janet had a lot to drink last night and as she was getting ready to fall asleep she stared asking me questions but the questions were from the song. She asked me all the questions that the girl asked the guy in the song."

"So I take it she asked you "Will you make me your wife?" This time Eddie was the one who nodded. "What did you tell her?"

"I told her I would."

"Are you considering that a proposal?"

"Hell no dad. Janet was drunk and I have no idea whether or not she will even remember that conversation but it got me thinking. What about if that was her subtle way of telling me she wants me to propose?"

"What if it is?"

"What if she was just drunk and quoting a song and I propose and she thinks it's too soon and freaks out and I lose her? Or what if I choose to wait and don't propose right away and she gets tired of waiting for me and I lose her? Dad, I can't risk losing her." Eddie whispered.

"Let me ask you something; were you thinking about proposing before last night, before Janet started quoting the song?"

"I've been seriously thinking about it since we moved in together. I got a credit card to buy her ring. I even put down the office's address so she won't see the bill."

"Okay that's good because if her quotes is what started you thinking about it then I would say that you aren't ready."

"Dad, I love Janet so much and I want to spend the rest of my life with her."

"Eddie, there doesn't seem to be any question as to what you want."

"I have no doubt as to what I want. My doubt is when to ask. Dad, when should I ask her?"

"I can't answer that for you Eddie. You need to listen to your heart and if you'll do that then you can't go wrong."

"My heart isn't being very clear right now and I am terrified that if I do it too soon or not soon enough than I will lose her and dad."

"Does she love you Eddie?"

"Yeah. She does."

"Then you won't lose her. If it is too soon than I am sure that she will tell you and you can propose later and if she feels that you are dragging your feet than I am sure that she will tell you as well. Ask her when you feel the time is right. Trust yourself son. Trust your heart."

"Thanks dad." Even though Mitch didn't give Eddie what he wanted, an exact time to ask Janet to marry him, he felt more confident about proposing.

"Eddie there is something that I need to ask."

"Sure."

"The reason that you and Janet broke up, has that been totally resolved?"

"Yeah." Eddie answered slowly. "Why?"

"I don't know what happened between you two and I don't want to know. The only thing I know for sure was how miserable you were when you broke up which tells me how much you loved her. Eddie you can't propose or get married if what broke you guys up the first time hasn't been resolved. I'm not trying to be nosey son. I don't want to know what happened because that is between you and Janet. The only thing I want to know was if it has been fixed because I don't want to see you with another broken heart." Mitch told him.

"We're good. We fixed what was wrong the first time around and I guarantee that it won't happen again and I just want you to know that our breakup, it wasn't just Janet's fault. I was to blame too."

"I had no doubt about that." Mitch said with a wink and both men laughed.

"Do you like her dad?" Eddie sounded like a little boy.

"I really do. Your mother and I really do. I'm glad you two found each other because for awhile you had us really scared for awhile."

"Why were you scared?"

"Maybe worried would be more accurate. You were knocking on the door for thirty and were acting like a teenager, sleeping with anything that had breasts." Eddie stared at his dad. "It's a small town son. A few of the mothers of your conquests talked to your mother so yeah we knew. We worried that you would get some of these girls pregnant or worse, get AIDS."

"You taught me well. I always practiced safe sex. I always used condoms except with Janet. We were in a monogamous relationship. She was on the pill and neither of us have any diseases so we went natural."

"I don't want to hear about your sex life Eddie. If you keep it up I will tell you about mine."

"Gross. Do you want me to puke?" Eddie emptied his beer. "Want another?" Mitch nodded and Eddie went to get them a refill. "I guess that I went a little crazy when Rory and I broke up." Eddie commented when he returned to the deck. "She hurt me so bad and I never wanted to feel that away again so the only way I knew how to avoid that was by not getting involved in another serious relationship, hence the frequent liaisons. If I could, I would go back in time and change things. If I knew then, how I would feel about Janet, how strong our love is…I wish I could change things. We would probably be married by now with a couple of kids but I never saw the possibility of us. She was just my friend. I wasted so many years."

"No you didn't waste time. You and Janet spent years developing a friendship and that is the basis of any good relationship. Maybe, if you would have done things differently than you two wouldn't be together now." Mitch wisely said.

"I never thought of it that way before. Thanks."

"The only thing your mother and I ever wanted for you was to be happy."

"I am dad. I am very happy."

"I can tell. I have never seen you happier than I have seen you since you have been with Janet and I know that she is the reason for it."

"She loves me dad and I have no idea why. She is the most amazing woman that I have ever known and I really don't deserve someone as wonderful as her but somehow, I got her to love me. Sometimes I think that one day she'll wake up and realize that she got stuck with me and she'll take off running." Mitch had never heard his confident son, talk like that before but he understood the fear that Eddie felt. Losing the one you love is always scary.

"I may be a little biased but Eddie, you are a great man. Janet is a wonderful woman and you too deserve each other. I only knew Janet vaguely from Sully's but even I can see that you two make each other better and stronger. Me, your mother, practically anyone in this town can tell just by looking at the two of you that you both love each other very much and when it comes right down to it that's all that matters. Do you love Janet?"

"So much dad."

"Do you believe that she loves you?" Eddie gave his dad a "duh" look and Mitch took that as a yes. "That's all the information you will ever need when it comes to your relationship with Janet. Ask her to marry you when you are ready to do it."

"Thanks dad."

* * *

Janet awoke a couple of hours after Eddie kissed her goodbye and she felt much better than she did when she first woke up. The only thing that was missing was her man. Sunday was usually the day that she cleaned her house, not that it really needed it but today, her ankle was so sore she decided to forgo the house cleaning. Limping, she made her way to the kitchen where she grabbed an ice pack, bagel and a glass of juice and then she limped her way to the couch. Thankfully the book she was currently reading was on the end table along with her glasses. She propped her ankle up, placed the ice on top of it and sat back to enjoy her book, juice and bagel.

By the time the ice melted she was bored and lonely. She briefly considered calling Eddie to see when would be home but she decided against it. She didn't want to be one of those clingy, annoying girlfriends who couldn't be alone. He was entitled and deserved to spend time with his family. After a few minutes Janet decided that she would attempt to get a bubble bath. She figured that it was easier than attempting to stand in the shower. The problem would be getting in and out of the tub.

It took a couple of tries but after the bath was full of hot water and bubbles Janet managed to get herself in without too much pain. She loved bubble baths. She loved just lying in the hot water, covered with bubbles as her body and mind relaxed. She did some of her best thinking during one of her bubble baths. She picked up her book and got a couple of paragraphs in before her mind began to wander to the previous night or very early morning, depending on how you looked at it.

She had a wonderful time at the reunion. She enjoyed seeing and catching up with old friends. Reliving and reminiscing about their time at Knights Ridge High School. The biggest plus was her date. Janet had a small, very small fear that she didn't tell Eddie about. She thought that maybe, once he was back in the place where he was king that he may be embarrassed to be seen with her on his arm but that wasn't close to what had happened. He proudly and lovingly introduced her to his old friends as his girlfriend and her heart soared every time she heard those words come out of his mouth. It still boggled her mind that the most popular guy in school, the captain of the football team was her boyfriend, the man she lived with, the man she loved was her date. She felt vindicated when all of the girls that were mean to her during high school looked at her with a face full of jealousy. She knew it was petty but frankly she didn't care.

She remembered the conversation or the sing a long she and Eddie had before she passed out. She has no idea what possessed her to ask him those questions besides the fact that she was drunk. She knew the answers to all of the questions before she asked them except for the final one- "Will you make me your wife?" She knew she shouldn't have been but she was surprised when he told her that one day, he would make her his wife. She hoped he knew that she wasn't pushing him to propose. She was perfectly happy with their current relationship. It's not that she wouldn't love being engaged to Eddie and if it happened she sure wasn't going to say no but she didn't have the need for it. Things were great between them just as they were.

"Hey sexy." Janet nearly jumped out of the tub when she heard his deep voice. She was so lost in thought that she never heard him come in the house. "I thought that I might find you here. " He bent over and kissed her softly. "How is your ankle?" Janet lifted her leg out of the tub. Eddie wiped the bubbles off and had a look at the still swollen, black and blue ankle. "Awe babe. Does it hurt?"

"Yeah, especially when I walk on it."

"Don't walk on it then." He shook his head and returned her foot to the water. "It's not as swollen as it was last night."

"I have to walk on it. I have to work tomorrow."

"I figured you'd be that damn stubborn so I brought you a present." Janet's eyes lit up and Eddie grabbed the bag that he had sitting on the sink and he pulled out an ankle brace.

"Really? A present is flowers, candy or jewelry."

"Trust me. Tomorrow night you will be thanking me for this."

"Yeah sure I will."

"Trust me I know. I used to wear this very brace back in high school."

"Eww. Gross." Eddie grinned and proceeded to explain to her how it worked and its benefits. "Babe, without this, you won't be able to work tomorrow. Trust me. It's gonna help."

"All right."

"So you got room for one more in there?"

"I think that can be arranged." With a toothless grin Eddie began to strip and Janet couldn't take her eyes off of him and his amazing body. As he slid his boxers over his hips, she was again struck by the fact that he was hers. He loved her and only her.

"See something you like?"

"Oh yeah." Janet scooted up and while Eddie situated himself behind her. Once he was comfortable, he reached out and pulled her wet naked body to his bare chest. Janet laid her head against his chest and turned her head to face him. There wasn't a lot of room in the tub for two of them. It was a tight fit that didn't allow for a lot of movement which was perfectly fine for them. They had no choice but to be close. "Hi."She whispered softly.

"Hi back." Eddie reached out, brushed a stray curl off of her face and the two of them shared a slow, deep kiss. When they finally broke apart, Janet settled against his chest while Eddie wrapped an arm around her with his hand landing casually on her breast and he made no move to remove it. "Mom and dad send their love." Janet smiled at those words.

"Did you and Max have fun?" She asked.

"We did. We played baseball. He's obsessed with it." Eddie told her with a grin.

"Was he mad that I didn't come?"

"Not mad. He cried for about an hour. You broke his heart." Janet playfully hit his chest.

"That is not funny."

"He was fine. Of course he missed you but he has another woman occupying his thoughts."

"What?"

"Yeah. He's got a girlfriend."

"What?" She repeated.

"Her name is Molly. He asked me if I would teach him how to kiss her."

"He didn't."

"Oh yeah. He did."

"What did you tell him?"

"I told him to talk to mom and dad. I am so staying out of that."

"Good choice."

"When I asked Max if Molly was pretty he said she was but not as pretty as you."

"Really. That is so sweet."

"My little brother is so in love with you it's ridiculous.

"But it's cute and it's all innocent.

"Yeah it is which is why I tolerate my little brother hitting on my girl." Eddie said with a grin.

"Can he have a girlfriend?"

"I'm sure he can but I don't know if mom and dad will allow it. It's a complicated situation. He may be an adult, physically but he is still a child in many ways and a child isn't capable of having an adult relationship. What scares mom and dad the most is he is an eighteen year old kid or man with normal eighteen year old urges."

"Oh."

"Max doesn't know the meaning of self control and if he is put in the situation, alone with Molly for example then…"

"Got it and could we put this conversation on the back burner please. I'm not really comfortable thinking about Max having sex."

"I'm good with that." Janet placed a kiss on Eddie's chest. "So speaking of girlfriends, what were you and Rory talking about last night?"

"Speaking of girlfriends? Really?"

"Well yeah. You are my girlfriend. Rory was my girlfriend so girlfriends." Janet rolled her eyes.

"She wanted to apologize for the part she played in our breakup."

"She did?" Eddie was shocked. "What did you say?"

"I told her that she didn't need to apologize because our breakup wasn't her fault. I told her that you and I were both to blame. I told her that you should have told her you had a girlfriend and I also mentioned that when she came to the bar that morning and told me when she saw you and that you looked sad I should have told her that you didn't look sad that morning when you left my bed."

"That would have been priceless." The fingers of the hand that was resting on Janet's breast began to gently tweak her nipple.

"Coulda, shoulda, woulda." Eddie laughed. "Can I tell you a secret?"

"You know you can."

"There was a small part of me, a very small part of me that was nervous about going to the reunion."

"Why honey?"

"I was scared that maybe once you were back in the place where you ruled then you would second guess being with me." She admitted softly.

"Why would you think that sweetheart?"

"I was not the girl you dated back in high school and I thought that maybe you would…"

"Janet I'm not the same guy I was twelve years ago. I love you Janet and that's never going to change."

"I know that. I believe that. I told you that it was just a very small part of me that thought that." Janet kissed him softly and let out a soft moan as he pinched her nipple. "Every time you told someone that I was your girlfriend, my heart pitter pattered."

"I love you Janet.

"I love you too Eddie." The couple shared another kiss and it was during that kiss, in the bathtub, their wet naked chests pressed flushed against each other. Eddie's heart made everything perfectly clear. He knew he would propose to her very soon.

_**Thanks so much for reading.**_


	20. Chapter 20

**I own none of the characters of October Road**

"Can I help you?"

"Yeah. Can I see your engagement rings?" On his way to the work site that morning, Eddie had seen a small locally owned jewelry store about twenty minutes outside of The Ridge so he took his lunch hour to do some browsing.

"They are in the back of the store. Follow me." Eddie had been spending a lot of his lunch hours and evenings when Janet was working browsing for rings and he found some possibilities but he didn't feel certain and he always thought that there would be no doubts when he found the perfect ring for his future fiancé.

When they got to the back of the store the salesman pulled out the trays of engagement rings and set them on the counter. "Do you have anything particular in mind?"

"I have no idea. I guess I'll know it when I see it."

"So you and your girlfriend hadn't been ring shopping?"

"No. I'm hoping to surprise her but with the rate I'm going I just may have to bring her with me."

"You aren't the first man standing where you are, saying the exact same thing that you are saying." The salesman told us.

"What was the outcome?"

"Fifty fifty."

"Great." Eddie mumbled. He began to carefully examine the rings. Just as he was about to give up he found a ring that caught his eye. "Can I see that one?"

"Lovely choice." Once the ring was in Eddie's hand he carefully looked at it and he had a feeling that he had found the ring Janet would wear for the rest of her life. The ring was white gold and the diamond was square and so were the surrounding structures. He had seen rings like this and he always went back to the square rings but this one was different. Surrounding the square diamond was a bunch of pink stones that formed a square and surrounding the pink square was another square of diamonds. The longer he looked at the ring the more convinced he became that he had found the perfect ring. The square rings had always caught his eye but the reason he knew this was the ring was because pink was Janet's favorite color and this was the only ring he had seen like it.

"Is there a wedding band that goes with this particular ring?"

"Yes sir." The salesman pulled out the wedding band that went with the ring. "If you buy the ring today with the engagement ring you can get the band for fifty percent off."

"I'll take it."

"What size ring does this lucky woman wear?" Eddie held out his hand and pointed to right above his first knuckle.

"I put one of her rings on and it came to right here on my finger."

"That was a great idea." The salesman placed the ring sizer on Eddie's finger until they found the correct size and fifteen minutes later Eddie was the proud owner of an engagement ring and wedding band. He called Janet on his way back to the work site.

"Hi honey." He greeted when she answered her phone.

"Hey. What goes on?"

"I just called to tell you that I love you." Since he had her ring he had the strongest desire to tell her that he loved her.

"What's wrong? What did you do?" Eddie could hear the smile in her voice.

"Can't a guy just call his girl to tell her that he loves her?"

"I guess so. I love you too."

"You work days on Thursday, right?"

"Yeah."

"Let's go out to dinner."

"Sounds good."

"Okay. I'll make the reservation."

"Oh. A reservation. Sounds fancy."

"It will be." The two talked for a few more minutes before Janet had to go back to work. After Eddie hung up with Janet he made another phone call. There was one more thing he had to do before he proposed. He just hoped that it all worked out.

* * *

Eddie nervously sat in a corner booth at Sully's sipping his beer waiting for his requested guest. He called Janet's dad and invited him to Sully's for a drink. He wasn't sure if Janet's dad was the type of father who wanted the man in love with his daughter to ask his permission to marry her but Eddie wasn't taking any chances. He would rather play it safe ask Patrick Meadows for his daughter's hand in marriage then have the former military police officer pissed off at him.

"Latekka." Eddie jumped at the sound of his name.

"Mr. Meadows." The two men stood there and just looked at each other until Patrick finally broke the silence.

"Can I sit?"

"Oh yeah sure. Please sit." Patrick slid across from Eddie and while Eddie signaled the waitress. After a minute of awkward silence the waitress walked over to the table.

"Hey Eddie. What can I get you?"

"What would you like?" Eddie asked.

"Coors on draft please."

"Right away."

"So what possessed you to call and invite me down here for a drink? I figure that's the last thing you would ever want to do." Patrick said.

"It's not the last thing." Eddie quipped and Patrick smiled. "I would rather wait until you have your drink."

"Are you hoping to get me drunk?" Eddie laughed.

"No. I just don't want us to be interrupted."

"Fair enough." Again the men lapsed into silence until Patrick couldn't take it anymore. "So Latekka, how is work?"

"Very good. We continue to get more and more jobs. We actually are going to hire a couple more guys because we are that busy." Patrick nodded and just then his beer was delivered.

"Do you guys need anything else?" The waitress asked.

"No thanks Karen. We're good."

"Well, yell if you need anything."

"Will do." Eddie answered, flashing a smile.

"Kinda friendly with the waitress aren't you?"

"I've been coming to this bar for years and I've learned it benefits me to be friendly with the waitresses." Eddie told Janet's dad with a grin.

"Good point. It does always pay to be kind to the one who serves you beer." Both men laughed. "So what's on your mind Latekka?"

"I want to ask Janet to marry me."

"You do huh?"

"Yes sir. When we had our conversation about my feelings for Janet you told me that I would understand why you were giving me the third degree one day when I had a little girl of my own which is why I am sitting here right now. I know how much Janet means to you and how much you mean to Janet and I don't want to come between the two of you and to avoid that I am asking for your permission or blessing. I'm not sure what I want or need or which comment would piss Janet off less." Patrick laughed at that comment. "May I have your permission or blessing to ask for your daughter's hand in marriage?"

"What are going to do if I say no?" Patrick asked.

"Ask her anyway. I love Janet and I want to spend the rest of my life with her, more than anything." He wasn't trying to be rude. He was just being honest.

"You know when you two broke up and I saw my brokenhearted little girl my first instinct was to find you and kick your ass for hurting her and I would have had she not stopped me because she told me that the breakup was her fault."

"It was both of our faults." Eddie was so tired of talking about whose fault their breakup was. It happened over a year ago and it was in the past and that's where he wanted to keep it.

"I knew how much Janet loved you when I could see and feel the pain she was in after the breakup but even more importantly, I could and see how much she loves you now that you are back together and my Janet's happiness is all that matters to me. I would ask you if you love my little girl but I don't need you to answer that question for me. That's one answer I have and don't doubt. You would have to love her to be willing to ask my permission to marry my daughter."

"So how about giving me an answer to my request?" Eddie requested.

"Yes Eddie."

"Yes?"

"Yes. You have my permission or blessing to ask Janet to marry you. Now whether or not she says yes to you is a whole other issue."

"Oh she'll say yes." Eddie said with more confidence than he felt.

"Do you have a ring?"

"Yes sir I do."

"Can I see it?"

"With all due respect sir, I think besides myself, Janet should be the first to see her ring."

"So Janet didn't help you pick it out?"

"Nope. I did it all on my own."

"What about if she doesn't like it?"

"Oh she will."

"When are you going to ask her?"

"Thursday."

"That's soon."

"I can't wait and honestly, I'll be lucky if I can keep it to myself until then, which by the way, I hate to ask this but could you keep this between you and I. I don't want Janet finding out."

"This is between you and I." Patrick held out his hand and the two men shook. "Welcome to the family."

* * *

The next few days leading up to the proposal were the longest of Eddie's life. It took every ounce of self control Eddie had not to spill the beans. Nick thought he had lost his mind because he was just downright giddy, something Eddie normally wasn't. While at home with Janet, it was really hard to act normal around her. She knew him so well so she knew something was going on but he told her everything was fine which was the truth. Everything was fine. Everything was perfect and everything would remain perfect as long as everything went according to his master plan.

Eddie was very proud of his master plan. There was a Japanese restaurant that opened in the next town over that they had both wanted to try. The chefs at the restaurant cooked your meal in front of you at your table and it was supposed to be really nice and expensive. Eddie wasn't going to propose at the restaurant. He knew it would embarrass her to have such an intimate, private moment be witnessed in front of strangers so after dinner he was going to drive to the lake and they were going to walk on the bridge, something he thought was romantic. He had ordered a couple of fortune cookies from a place that could insert private messages inside the cookie, one of them being "Will you marry me?" He wanted her to open the cookie and as she was doing that and reading the message he would get down on his knee. It was the perfect plan and Eddie couldn't wait to execute it.

On Thursday when Eddie had gotten off of work, he walked into his front door whistling. He couldn't wait for Janet to get home so he could get this special night started. First thing he needed to do was get a shower. He was filthy. He quickly stripped out of his dirty clothes and turned on the water in the tub. After a few minutes the water never turned hot. Sighing in irritation he assumed the pilot light on the hot water tank went out so he wrapped a towel around his waist, grabbed Janet's long candle lighter and made his way to the basement. As he stepped off of the last step he stepped into water.

"Son of a bitch." He groaned. The pilot light didn't go out. The entire tank took a crap and along with the tank, his entire night quickly turned to crap. He knew he wouldn't be taking Janet out to dinner or proposing on the bridge at the lake and he was furious. Why couldn't the tank crapped out yesterday when he didn't have plans; when he was home all evening alone because Janet was working? He sighed and returned upstairs and put back on his work clothes and then the phone calls began.

The first call he made was too the landlord and he gave Eddie two options. Either wait until tomorrow for someone to come out and replace it or do it himself and take the money plus labor out of the rent. Since they had their rent ready to pay for the next month Eddie took the second option. He would rather just do it himself and know it was done right then have to wait until the following day with no hot water and he knew no hot water wasn't an option where Janet was concerned.

After he hung up with the landlord, regretfully Eddie called and canceled their reservation. Once that call was done he called in reinforcements otherwise known as his father. He needed his dad's shop-vac and his help. Between the two of them it shouldn't take too long to remove and install a new hot water tank and Mitch quickly agreed to lend a hand to his son. Just was Eddie was getting ready to call Janet she walked in.

"Hi baby." Janet greeted as she walked up and kissed him. Eddie kissed her back quickly and distractedly and Janet knew something was going on. "What's wrong?"

"I just had to cancel our reservation." He told her miserably and Janet had never seen him this upset over a cancelled or ruined date.

"It's okay. We can always reschedule."

"No we can't. " He snapped.

"Why not? Are they closing already and if that is the case then it's probably a good thing that we aren't going." She told him with a grin but he didn't smile back.

"They're not closing. We just can't reschedule. It won't be the same."

"Then why can't we go?"

"The hot water tank exploded all over the basement."

"What? Are you serious?" Eddie solemnly nodded and Janet headed to the basement. She ran down the basement stairs and before Eddie could stop her, she stepped into the ankle deep water. "You've got to be kidding me."

"I wish I was."

"We need to call…"

"It's been handled babe. I called the Mike and he gave me a couple of options, wait till tomorrow or do it myself and I picked option two because I know waiting until tomorrow for hot water isn't an option. Dad and I are going to put it in and then Mike will deduct from next month's rent."

"Oh Eddie, I'm sorry that you have to do all this. I am fine with waiting until tomorrow."

"No you're not. You such a crappy liar babe." Janet grinned.

"Did you believe me for even a second?"

"Not one." Eddie reached out and pulled her back the rest of the stairs. "It's all good. Dad is on his way over with the shop-vac and we'll suck all that water up and then go get a new tank. Between the two of us, it shouldn't take too long."

"The three of us." Janet informed him.

"Huh?"

"It shouldn't take the three of us too long."

"You don't have to help. My dad and I can handle it."

"Eddie this isn't 1950. Women can help the man folk with stuff around the house such as replacing a water heater. I may not know exactly what to do but I can follow instructions."

"Hot water tank." Eddie corrected with a grin and Janet rolled her eyes.

"I am not going to just on my ass while you two do all the work. While you guys are buying the new tank I will suck up all the excess water."

"But…" She placed her finger in front of his lips.

"No buts Latekka. It's settled. Now do you really want to argue with me?" She raised her eyebrows and he shook his head. "That's a good boy." As she went to remove her finger he grabbed it and held it there as he placed a kiss on the tip.

"I'm sorry I snapped earlier."

"Yeah, what's up with that? I've never seen you so creased about not going to a fancy restaurant." She commented.

"I was just wanted to treat you to a special night and I'm sorry that it didn't work out."

"That's okay. We can have a special night anytime. In fact, any time that we spend together is special."

"You always know what to say to make me feel better. How do you do that?"

"It's easy because I love you." With a smile Eddie wrapped his arms around Janet's waist and pulled her to his chest.

"I love you too." Janet lifted her head and the two of them shared a slow, deep long kiss until they were interrupted by Max bursting through Janet's front door.

"Max, I've told you to knock." Mitch yelled at his youngest son as he followed him in, carrying the shop-vac with him. "I'm so very sorry." Mitch told the couple with an apologetic look as they broke apart.

"It's okay." Janet told him.

"Max what do you say to Eddie and Janet for just walking into their house?" Mitch asked.

"I'm sorry for being rude."

"It's okay but just don't let it happen again." Eddie said.

"Are you mad at me?"

"No dude. I'm not mad."

"Are you mad at me Janet?"

"Now how can I be mad at you Max?" Janet moved away from Eddie and went over and gave Max a hug and the smile that spread over his face was priceless.

* * *

Three and a half hours later Eddie and Janet had a new hot water tank installed in their basement. While Mitch and Eddie went shopping for a new tank while Max hung out with Janet as she cleaned up all the water on the basement floor. Once Eddie and Mitch returned to the house the three of them, mainly Mitch and Eddie with Janet lending a hand when needed installed the tank while Max sat on the steps keeping everyone entertained.

Once the tank was in Janet was ready for a shower because she was dirty and sweaty but Eddie informed her that there probably wouldn't be enough hot water for a shower until the morning so Mitch suggested that the two of them borrow the shower at his house. Judee was gone for the evening and he and Max still had a couple of errands to do so they would have the house to themselves and the couple quickly accepted that offer, grabbed their stuff and went to Eddie's former childhood home to clean up. Janet was the first one in the shower and she assumed that she would be the only one in the shower but she was wrong.

She yelped and jumped in surprise when Eddie pulled back the curtain and joined her. At first Janet balked at the idea of showering together at his parent's house. She was terrified that someone, Max mainly who hadn't quite figured out how to knock yet would come bursting in. Eddie assured her that he locked the door and there would be no funny business. His only goal was to conserve water. Janet didn't believe him, because she knew him and against her better judgment she allowed him to stay.

When Janet was under the water wetting her hair down Eddie filled his hand with the shampoo and she let him wash her hair. She loved the feeling of his hands massaging her scalp. Once her hair was washed and conditioned Eddie had her loofa in his hand. She wanted to tell him no, that she would wash herself but she couldn't find the words so with a simple nod, Eddie began to gently wash her body, taking extra time on her breasts and butt. Once her body was completely rinsed off she was so turned on it was ridiculous and Eddie knew it. He could see the arousal in her blue eyes and he was just as aroused as she was. He loved putting his hands on her soft skin. He handed her the washcloth so she could return the favor and by the time Eddie was clean they were both past the point of no return.

Eddie gently pushed her against the wall of the shower, placed her leg on the tub and poised himself at her entrance. "We shouldn't." Janet moaned.

"Do you want me to stop?" He whispered huskily.

"God no. Please, I need you."

"Yes ma'am." Eddie pushed himself inside of Janet and she was so close that her orgasm came so quickly that she was unable to stop the cry of pleasure that came from her.

"Damn. I am good." Eddie said cockily.

"Prove it. Shut up, start moving and give me another one."

"Oh I'll prove it." He began to push inside of her and it took all of their self control to keep their pleasure quiet. Janet was digging her nails into his back and Eddie was grinding his teeth. There was something about have sex in his parent's house that made the sex really hot. "Janet…I'm so close." He panted.

"You know what to do." With a grin, he slipped his hand between their bodies and began to rub her clit. He instantly felt her tighten within, her fingernails dug deeper into his back and that was all it took. With a grunt he exploded inside of Janet. Once he got his breath back, he kissed her softly.

"Thank you." He whispered as he pulled out. "That was just what I needed."

"I can't believe we did that in your parent's house, in the shower."

"What can I say? I am irresistible." Janet rolled his eyes and swatted his butt.

"Let's get out of here before your dad and Max get home."

The two climbed out of the shower, got dressed and were leaving just as Max and Mitch returned. By this point in the night, it was going on nine o'clock and they were starved. Neither had eaten dinner so Eddie decided that they were going to grab some Chinese food on the way home. During the shower Eddie decided he wasn't waiting any longer to propose. He knew that the proposal didn't have to be in a romantic setting. As long as he told her how he felt then he felt he could propose anywhere and he couldn't wait another day longer. He had to know; tonight.

* * *

"Now this is the life." Janet sighed as she leaned against the couch. She and Eddie had just finished their late dinner of Chinese Food and she was stretched out, holding a glass of wine while Eddie massaged her feet. "Hmmmm. That feels good."

"Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?" Eddie was in awe as he stared at the woman lying before him; eyes closed and totally relaxed. Janet opened her eyes and smiled lovingly at him.

"You're going to give me a big head if you keep talking like that." She joked.

"If it gets too big, I'll deflate it."

"Thanks babe."

"No problem."

Eddie was a nervous wreck and he couldn't believe that Janet hadn't really picked up on it. He needed to rub her feet to keep his hands from shaking. He was a better actor than he thought. Glancing at the clock he saw that it was almost ten o'clock and he knew it was now or never or never.

"Here's your fortune cookie." Eddie suddenly announced as he tossed Janet one of the special cookies he had ordered.

"I'm stuffed."

"Come on Janet. If you don't eat a fortune cookie than you will have bad luck for a year."

"You are full of crap." She told him as she reluctantly pulled her feet off of Eddie's lap and moved herself into a sitting position.

"Am I?" He looked innocently at her and she just laughed. "Do you really want to take the chance?"

"Not really." Eddie stared anxiously as Janet opened her cookie, placed a piece in her mouth and then read her fortune. He grinned when he saw a smile filter across her face and just as she began to lift her head Eddie took his eyes off of her and worked on his own fortune cookie. "Awe." She commented.

"What?" He asked nonchalantly.

"My fortune." Eddie casually looked over at Janet.

"What's it say?"

"Stop searching forever; happiness is right beside you." She read tearfully.

"Well ain't that a cowinky-dink? Look who is sitting beside you." Eddie said with a grin.

"What does yours say?"

"The best is yet to come." Before Eddie ordered the special fortune cookies he googled some fortune cookie sayings. He wanted them to be realistic and not cheesy.

"Normally my fortunes are pretty lame but tonight, we got some good ones."

"Well let's see if our luck continues." He tossed her THE cookie. As she opened the cookie he reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring box.

Janet opened her cookie and read the words, Will you marry me Janet? She blinked her eyes a few times and then reread those words on the tiny slip of paper. She couldn't believe it. Was this really happening? She looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "Eddie?" She whispered. Before responding, he knelt in front of her on one knee, opened the ring box and took his free hand in hers.

"These fortune cookies weren't random."

"I kinda figured that." When Janet looked into his eyes she saw his were swimming with tears as well.

"Janet, sweetheart, I love you so much. I love you with my whole heart and then some." A tear fell from Janet's eye. "I want to be with you for the rest of my life. I want to raise a family with you. I want to grow old with you. I want to spend the rest of my life loving, adoring, and treasuring you. I want to spend the rest of my life as your husband." Now tears were falling from his eyes and with a shaking voice, he asked the question that he had been waiting weeks to ask her. "Janet Edith Meadows, will you marry me? Will you become my wife?"

"Oh Eddie." She whispered as she leaned forward, cupped his face and kissed him softly. "Did you do this because of what I said, sang or asked you the night of the reunion?" She asked him when they broke apart.

"You remember?" She nodded.

"Because if you did than…"

"NO." He blurted out. "I had been thinking of proposing since we moved in together." Janet looked for any sign that he was lying. "I just wasn't sure if it was too soon and that's something that I had to work out."

"Apparently you worked that out?"

"I did. So what do you say? You're killing me here."

"I love you Eddie, so much."

"But?" His voice cracked. He was convinced that she was about to turn him down.

"No buts."

"No buts?"

"No buts."

"So…?

"Yes Eddie, I will marry you." Janet had never seen such a big smile as she was seeing now on his face.

"Thank you Janet. Thank you so much." He whispered through his tears as he sat up on his knees and kissed her.

"No baby. Thank you." Janet whispered when they broke apart. The couple stared at each other for another minute before leaning together and kissing again.

"I love you my sweet, sweet Janet, forever." Eddie told her after the second kiss ended.

"I love you too but I really want to see my ring. I only glanced at." She grinned at her fiancé.

"Oh God. Right." Eddie pulled himself back on the couch and took the ring out of the box. Janet held out her left hand and with a shaking hand Eddie took her hand and began to slide the ring onto her left ring finger. "What the hell?" The ring made it to just above her second knuckle and then it wouldn't go any farther. "I don't understand." He mumbled. "I measured."

"How did you measure?"

"I took a ring out of your jewelry box and put it on my finger and then I told the guy at the jewelry store where your ring stopped on my finger. How in the hell can it be too small?"

"What ring did you measure with babe?"

"The one with the green stone."

"That's Grams' ring. Her fingers are so much smaller than mine are."

"Dammit Janet. I am so sorry."

"Eddie, it's okay."

"No it's not." He looked like he was going to cry. "Nothing has gone the way I planned it."

"That's why we were going to go out to a fancy restaurant tonight wasn't it?" He nodded. "Please tell me that you weren't going to propose in the restaurant in front of a bunch of strangers were you?"

"I know you better than that."

"Good thing because I would have turned you down flat."

"I was going to take you to the lake and propose on the bridge but of course nothing ever goes as planned. I'm so sorry baby. I wanted tonight to be a wonderful night that you would remember forever."

"Then you succeed. This has been a wonderful night that that I will remember for the rest of my life."

"We replaced a water tank and then I popped the question in our living room."

"Think about it Eddie. Nothing in our relationship has gone as planned so why on earth would you expect our engagement to go as planned?"

"Good point."

"I love you Eddie Latekka and this has been the best night of my life." With her engagement finger stuck on her finger she straddled his lap, wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately.

"What do you say we go to bed and celebrate our engagement?"

"Not until I check out this amazing ring." She removed her arm from around her neck and put it in front of her face. "It's got pink in it."

"As soon as I saw it I knew it was the ring for you."

"It's the most beautiful ring that I have ever seen." She told him tearfully.

"I am so glad you liked it. I was afraid that you would hate it."

"Like every girl, I have always dreamed of my engagement ring."

"Was it what you thought it would be?"

"Not even close. It is so much better than I could ever have imagined. It's perfect. You did good work Latekka." She kissed him again and then squealed when they broke apart. "Oh my God. We are engaged. You are no longer my boyfriend. You are my fiancé." She said with a huge grin.

"Fiancé. I like that. I love you Janet."

"I love you too Eddie. Now how about celebrating our engagement?"

"I like that the sound of that." Janet climbed off of his lap; the two of them joined hands and went to the bedroom where they spent the next few hours showing each other how they felt.


	21. Chapter 21

**I own none of the characters of October Road**

"Good morning fiancé." Eddie mumbled as he kissed the woman lying next to him.

"Hmm morning fiancé." Janet responded sleepily. Eddie's alarm had just gone off so they were both still in bed.

"Is it possible to just stay here in bed all day with you?"

"I wish we could babe but we both have so much to do today."

Tomorrow, their best friends, Nick and Hannah were getting married. The wedding was originally planned for after the first of the year, a New Year's Day wedding but The Commander's cancer had taken a turn for the worse and his doctor told Nick and Ronnie that he wouldn't make it to the first of the year so Nick and Hannah pushed it up. Nick wanted to make sure his father would see him marry the love of his life. Since it was being rushed and after her last faux-wedding, this was going to be a small affair with approximately fifty guests. They were getting married in the park, under the gazebo and then Janet booked them one of the party rooms at The Johnson Inn for a big discounted rate where the reception would be held. The couple was foregoing a rehearsal dinner simply because the only people in the wedding besides the bride and groom was Eddie, Janet, Ronnie, Pizza Girl, and of course Sam. They were just going to run through everything the morning of.

Nick, Eddie and Ronnie were only working the morning and they were going to spend the afternoon picking up the chairs that they were going to set out for the reception and then they were going to the party room to help the girls set up. Janet took the day off because her Grams was invited to the wedding and then was spending a week in town and Janet was the one who eagerly volunteered to drive to Rhode Island to pick her up. Once Grams was safely in town Janet was going to spend the afternoon with Hannah doing the appropriate maid of honor duties.

"Damn our friends for getting married." Eddie said with a grin.

"I hope that they don't same thing when we get married." Janet commented.

"If they do, I will kick their asses." Janet placed her hand over her heart.

"My hero."

"Damn straight." Eddie picked up Janet's left hand. "I really wish you had your ring right now."

"Baby, it's okay. As soon as it is sized, I'll where it for the rest of my life."

"I know, but you should have since we are officially engaged."

"Eddie, we are engaged whether or not I have my ring."

"I can't wait to tell everyone." Eddie was excited to be engaged to the woman next to him and he couldn't wait for the world to know.

"Yeah speaking of telling everyone…"

"Are you kidding me? You don't want to tell anyone about our engagement?" Eddie looked utterly devastated."Why not? Are you changing your mind? Do you…"

"Babe, relax." Janet interrupted him. "I am not changing my mind. We are getting married so you are stuck with me Latekka."

"So?"

"Tomorrow is Nick and Hannah's day and it has been a long time coming. Today and tomorrow should be all about Nick and Hannah and I don't want to take anything away from them. Can we tell everyone after the wedding, after Nick and Hannah return from their short Honeymoon?"

"Well I have really crappy timing don't I?" Eddie mumbled and Janet simply smiled. "I just couldn't wait any longer. I felt like a kid on Christmas morning."

"You have perfect timing."

"I don't know if I am going to be able to keep this secret from my dad or yours." He said softly.

"Excuse me? Did you just say my dad?" Janet sat up in bed, the sheet falling to her waist leaving her breasts exposed and immediately Eddie's eyes landed on them. Janet had to snap her fingers and pull the sheet back up to get his attention. "My eyes are up here."

"Sorry. It's not my fault your boobs are so awesome." Janet rolled her eyes.

"So again, my dad knows?" Eddie nodded. "Only my dad?" Another nod. "Why is my dad the only one who knows that you were going to propose?"

"I asked for his permission or blessing." He admitted softly, not meeting her eyes.

"Really?" She didn't sound mad. Eddie looked up at her and saw that she was smiling and there were tears shinning in her blue eyes.

"Really."

"Why would you do that? You and dad aren't really what I would call friends."

"Because your dad is important to you and you are just as important to him. I didn't know if your dad was the kind of man who wanted or needed to give his permission or blessing. If he was I wasn't going to risk proposing and then have him all pissed off at me. I didn't want to start our engagement like that because I knew if he was pissed at me then you would end up getting pissed at him and taking my side or defend me which would probably cause a big fight and I didn't want that."

"You have no idea what that means to me Eddie, that you would ask my father for my hand. Thank you for loving me enough to do that because I know it wasn't easy."

"You should know by now that I would do anything for you sweetheart."

"I do know that." Janet reached out and cupped his cheek. "I love you."

"I love you too." Eddie planted a kiss on the hand that was holding his cheek.

"So your dad knows too?"

"I needed some proposing advice. He didn't know when but every time I talk to him, he mentions it."

"How about this? Let's tell our families now but wait until after the wedding to tell our friends and that way when we tell them I will have my ring."

"Let's tell them tonight. Let's invite them all over for dinner and tell them then."

"Wow. I don't think that I have ever seen you so excited about something before."

"Can you blame me? The woman I love has agreed to become my wife. It doesn't get much better than that babe." Janet couldn't resist. She leaned forward and gently pressed her lips to his and Eddie, being Eddie took total advantage of that. He immediately pushed his naked fiancé back on to the bed, cupped her breast and the kiss quickly became more intense.

"Eddie…hmmm….sweetheart…we…not…now." Finally, Janet managed to push Eddie to the side. "We aren't done talking."

"I thought we were."

"Eddie, sweetheart, darling, there is no way that I pull a dinner together today. I'm going to spend four hours by picking up Grams and then the afternoon with Hannah. We don't need a dinner to tell them. Later tonight we can take ourselves over to their houses." Eddie thought about it. Putting together a dinner tonight would be next to impossible to pull off.

"You're right. Let's just go to their houses today after we get done with the wedding stuff."

"Okay except for…"

"Except for what Janet?" As she looked at him a childlike grin crossed her face.

"I'm not going to be able to keep this secret from Grams, especially spending two hours in a car with her. She knows me so well and she'll know the instant she sees me."

"Who are you kidding Janet? The second you see her, you'll tell her." Janet nodded sheepishly. "I really wanted to be there when you told Grams but I know that you won't make it so you can tell Grams under two conditions."

"Conditions? Really Latekka?"

"The first condition is that as soon as you tell her you call me and the second condition is that you have to convince her to keep quiet until we tell the rest of our family and then she has to act surprised. I don't want to piss anyone off."

"Those conditions are acceptable."

"Good. Now are you done talking?"

"About that yes. Now…" Janet never finished her sentence because Eddie was rolling on top of her. "Ummm Eddie?"

"You're killing me Janet."

"If we do…ohhh…this aren't you…ahhh…late?" Eddie was literally taking her breath away with his tongue.

"I own half of the damn company and I want to stay home and make love to my fiancé who won't shut up and be late for work, then I will."

"Yes sir." No more words were spoken. Smiling tenderly at each other, they officially began their morning as one in heart, soul and body.

* * *

"Oh Janey, it is so good to see you my sweet girl." Edith greeted her beloved granddaughter with a hug and a kiss.

"Hi Grams." Janet hugged and kissed her grandmother back. "I am so excited that you are going to be in town for an entire week. Eddie and I want to take you to dinner, BINGO at the senior center; we got tickets to see Bye Bye Birdie in Boston and whatever else you want to do." If Janet could, she would spend every minute with her Grams.

"Well it sounds as if you have a lot of plans."

"I do. Well we do."

"There is something you aren't telling me Janey." Edith knew, just as Janet has suspected, that Janet had some good news. She knew as soon as she saw her. Janet was glowing with happiness. Janet pulled out her cell phone and found the picture of her engagement ring that she took before Eddie left for work, taking the ring with him.

"What do you think about this ring Grams?" Janet handed Grams her cell phone.

"Janey is this what I think it is?" Janet nodded. "You and Eddie are shopping for an engagement ring?" This time Janet shook her head. "Sweetie, my old mind isn't as sharp as it used to be."

"Grams, Eddie picked out this ring all by himself." Janet smiled. "He proposed to me last night."

"And what did you say?"

"What do you think I said?"

"I would hope you said yes."

"Of course I said yes." Edith wrapped her arms around her precious girl and hugged her with as much strength as the older woman could muster.

"Janey, I am so very happy for you and Eddie. I know that you two will be very happy together." Edith pulled away and when Janet looked into her grandmother's blue eyes and saw tears that mirrored her own.

"I know Grams." Janet said over the huge lump in her throat.

"Your grandfather would have been so happy for you. The night that we met Eddie, after you two dropped us off after the play, Frank told me that you guys would get married one day. He said you guys reminded him of us when we were younger."

"I wish that he was here."

"Me too honey. He wanted to see you married and happy more than anything. Janey, I believe, no I know that he is looking down on you today and smiling."

"I believe that too Grams." The two women were lost in their own thoughts about their husband and grandfather for a minute.

"So…" Edith began wiping her tears. "If you are engaged why aren't you wearing that beautiful ring?"

"It's too small." Janet sniffed as she wiped her own tears away. "It was so cute. Eddie was trying to be slick and he took a ring out of my jewelry box to measure for my ring but he took your old emerald ring that you gave me. Your fingers are so much smaller than mine and the ring is too small so he took it back today to get it sized." Janet picked up Edith's suitcase. "Are you ready?"

"I am." Janet went and signed Edith out for the week and the two women walked slowly out to Janet's car.

"Do you know what he did Grams?" Janet asked once she got her grandmother settled in the car and they were on their way to The Ridge.

"What did he do honey?"

"He asked for dad's blessing before he proposed." Janet gushed.

"Of course he did. Eddie is a good man and he did what any man who loves you and respects your father would have done. It doesn't surprise me."

"Grams, I am so happy."

"I know you are Janey." Edith reached out took and squeezed Janet's free hand.

"Later tonight we are telling mom, dad, Lil and Eddie's parents tonight after we are done with the wedding stuff. When we tell mom and dad we need you to act surprised. Mom will be heartbroken if she knows that I told you before her."

"You have my word. I will be pleasantly surprised. When are you telling Hannah?"

"After the wedding. Probably after they come home from their honeymoon."

"Why are you waiting?"

"Tomorrow is Nick and Hannah's day and I don't want to take anything away from that."

"That's my girl. Giving up her own wonderful news so her friends can be happy."

"They would do the same if it was my wedding day. " Janet picked up her phone and hit the first speed dial on her phone. "Eddie wants to talk to you."

"Hey babe." Eddie's voice came through the speaker.

"Can you talk?"

"Hang on." They could hear Eddie telling Nick that he had to take this call outside because he didn't have a signal. "Okay babe. It's all good."

"I've got Grams on speaker."

"Hiya Grams."

"Hello Eddie."

"So how long did it take before you realized that Janet had something to tell you?"

"I knew the second she walked into my room."

"I wanted to be there when she gave you the news but I knew she wouldn't make it home."

"Thank you Eddie, for loving and for making my Janey, so happy."

"You don't have to thank me for doing what comes natural. Loving Janet, it's like breathing. I wouldn't make it a day without it."

"You remind a lot of her grandfather Eddie. You are the kind of man that we always wanted for her."

"I'm the lucky one Grams."

"We are both lucky." Janet interjected.

"Grams, Janet is everything to me and I promise you that I am going to spend the rest of my life loving Janet with all that I have."

"I knew that the first time I saw you two together. We, Frank and I, we saw the love and the depth of that love every time you looked at each other."

"Well you could have told us Grams. Maybe it would have saved us a lot of heartache." Eddie told her.

"No. Discovering the depth of those feelings is something that you had to do for yourselves. The heartache you both experienced was part of the discovery. Eddie, seeing Janey hurt was and still is the last thing that I want but had you two not experienced the heartache than we probably wouldn't be having this conversation." Edith wisely informed her granddaughter's fiancé.

Once Edith and Eddie finished their conversation which wasn't nearly as long as either would have liked since Eddie was working but Eddie promised they would catch up later, Janet and Edith spent the remainder of the drive home discussing the engagement and how it happened. Janet gave her grandmother almost every detail of the magical night and then they discussed different wedding ideas until they arrived in The Ridge where Janet left her grandmother in the care of her mother and then she headed to Hannah's for wedding detail.

* * *

"Something weird is up with Eddie and Janet." Hannah whispered to Nick.

"You noticed it too?" Nick asked.

Since they all arrived at The Johnson Inn Nick and Hannah had observed Eddie and Janet. They were more touchy-feely than they normally were. They would send each loving, longing glances to each other across the room and whenever possible they would steal kisses but the most noticeable thing was the smiles. Eddie and Janet both had been wearing big goofy smiles all day.

"You don't think…" Hannah mumbled and then it hit her. "Oh my God." Hannah rushed away from Nick and over to her best friend and her boyfriend with Nick following behind, confused. He had no idea what was going on. "Is there something you guys want to tell us?" Hannah demanded, placing her hands on her hips while taping her foot.

"Hannah, babe, what is going on?" Nick asked, completely lost.

"Yeah what are you talking about?" Eddie asked with a forced laugh while Janet avoided meeting Hannah's eyes, a sure sign that she was hiding something. Hannah reached out, grabbed Janet's left hand and examined her finger.

"Where is it Janet?" Hannah asked.

"Where is what?" The smile on Janet's face gave Hannah the answer she wanted.

"Oh my God, you ARE engaged."

"I…I…have no idea what are you talking about." Janet mumbled.

"Come on sweetheart." Eddie said as he slung an arm around her shoulders. "We might as well tell them since you are horrible at keeping a secret."

"I never said a word." She defended herself.

"You're face babe. Your face always gives you away." Eddie smiled tenderly at his fiancé.

"Fine." Janet relented as a huge smile crossed her face. "Eddie asked me to marry him last night."

"And she said yes." Eddie blurted out and Hannah squealed, wrapping her arms around her best friend.

"I can't believe it. I can't believe that you and Eddie are getting married." Hannah gushed. She pulled away from Janet and hit her friend in the arm. "Now why in the hell didn't you tell me the second that it happened?"

"Because it's your day and it should be about you and Nick not about me and Eddie."

"That is sweet but an engagement is not something that you keep from your best friend." Hannah scolded.

"I'm sorry Hannah. I just thought…"

"I know what you thought and that's why we are best friends." The two women hugged while Nick and Eddie did the manlier thing, they shook hands. "So where is the ring? Are you going ring shopping this weekend?"

"No. I already have one." Janet said proudly.

"Well where is it?" With a smile Janet found the picture on her phone and showed to her best friend. "Oh My God." Hannah screeched. "Janet, this is so beautiful. Where did you find it?"

"I don't know. Ask Eddie. He is the one who picked it out."

"With your help right? You found it in a magazine and showed it to him right?" Hannah was having a hard time believing that Eddie could pick out such a gorgeous ring on his own.

"Nope. He did it all by himself."

"How?"

"Probably because he loves me." Hannah turned around and slapped Nick on the arm.

"You could have called Eddie before you went shopping for my ring. Apparently he's got great taste in engagement rings."

"I thought you liked your ring." Nick stammered.

"I do." Hannah planted her lips on Nick's "I love my ring." Hannah turned to Janet. "Now spill. I want every juicy detail."

* * *

"Janet, Eddie, this is a surprise." Katherine Meadows said as she opened the door. "I figured that you two would be with Nick and Hannah." Eddie and Janet had been invited for dinner and dessert but they had to turn down the invitation due to Nick and Hannah's upcoming wedding.

"Everything is ready." Janet told her mother as she pulled Eddie into the house. "So we are free for the evening."

They had decided to tell her family first since Gram's goes to bed early and Lillian, Jason and the boys would be there as well visiting Grams so they would be able to tell everyone at once. They also knew once they got to Eddie's parent's Max would make it very difficult for them to leave.

"Are you guys hungry? We just finished dinner and are getting ready for dessert. I could warm up some plates for you."

"No thanks on the dinner but we would love to join you for dessert." Janet answered. She knew Eddie could always eat dessert.

"Everyone is in the dining room." Kat told them.

"Do you need any help mom?"

"No sweetheart. I'm just going to grab a couple of plates and coffee cups. Go on in and find yourselves a seat."

"Thanks mom."

When Eddie and Janet walked into the dining room everyone looked up in surprise. Janet saw Eddie and her father exchange a look. Eddie gave a slight nod and Patrick smiled. The couple parted ways. Eddie went and shook Patrick's hand. From there Eddie said hi to Lillian and Jason and finally he went over to see Grams. Grams stood and hugged the young man in front of her and the two of them shared a whispered conversation.

While Eddie made his rounds Janet made hers. She went and hugged Lillian, Jason, Grams and finally her dad. "Congratulations Angel." Patrick whispered with his arms wrapped around his little girl.

"Thanks daddy and thank you for saying yes to Eddie."

"All I want is for you to be happy and I know that your happiness is wrapped up in Eddie."

"He's a good man and he loves me." She whispered back.

"I know that."

Katherine brought out some carrot cake for the adults and ice cream for Timmy and Charlie. The adults sat and enjoyed each other's conversation and cake which Eddie really enjoyed because he had two big pieces. He hinted, not so subtly, to Janet that he would love for her to make this delicious cake for him. It was while they were all talking over coffee that Eddie and Janet decided to share their news.

"Eddie and I have something to tell you." Janet said and the table went silent. She took a deep breath and continued. "Eddie proposed last night and I said yes." The table, mainly Lillian and Katherine went crazy; hugging, kissing and crying. Everyone in that room loved Janet and they were so very happy for her. They welcomed the man that loved her into their family.

An hour later the newly engaged couple was walking into Eddie's parent's house, their final stop of the evening. As usual, they were greeted by Max or more accurately Max greeted Janet with hugs and excitement. Eddie got the impression that Max could have cared less if he was there. Eddie and Janet weren't the only ones with a surprise that evening. When they walked into the living room they found a young woman with Down Syndrome sitting on the couch.

"Janet, Eddie, this is my girlfriend Molly"

"Hi." The young girl whispered.

"Molly this is my brother Eddie." Max took Eddie's hand and drug him over to the couch, in front of Molly. Eddie smiled softly, kneeled down in front of her and reached out his hand.

"Hiya Molly. It's really nice to meet you." Molly smiled shyly. Eddie stood and Max came, took Janet's hand and drug her to the couch.

"Molly this is Janet. She is Eddie's girlfriend, like you are my girlfriend. She is really, really nice." Janet sat next to Molly.

"Hi Molly. I am really glad to meet you. Max is a pretty great guy isn't he."

"He is very nice and I like kissing him." Eddie started laughing and quickly covered it up with a cough.

"Are you okay Eddie?" Max asked.

"I'm good Max. "

"I'll tell you a secret Molly. I like kissing his brother."

"Janet." Eddie hissed.

"What? I do enjoy kissing you every much."

"Where are mom and dad?" Eddie asked. He wasn't comfortable having this conversation with Molly and Max.

"Right here." Judee answered walking into the living room carrying a bowl of popcorn with Mitch following behind his wife carrying a few cans of soda.

"Thanks mom." Max grabbed the bowl of popcorn and took Janet's spot on the couch since she stood up.

"Here." Mitch handed the young couple the cans of soda.

"Thanks dad."

"So what brings you two here, not that I am complaining." Judee asked as she hugged her son and his girlfriend.

"Janet and I have something to tell you."

"Oh My God. You two are getting married." Judee exclaimed.

"Dad! Really?" Eddie said. "You told her?" Before Mitch could respond Judee spoke up.

"You told your father you were getting married before you told me?" Judee slapped Eddie's arm and then her husband's.

"I didn't say anything to your mom." Mitch defended himself.

"And I never actually told dad we were getting married. I just had to get some advice from Dad." Now Eddie was defending himself.

"Judee, I didn't even have a clue if that helps." Janet offered.

"It does help."

"Max don't you have anything to say?" Eddie asked his brother and Max shrugged. "Dude, Janet and I are going to get married."

"Okay." He mumbled. Eddie wore a troubled look as he sat next to his brother.

"Max do you want me to be happy?" The younger Latekka boy nodded. "Do you want Janet to be happy?" Another nod. "Getting married will make both Janet and I very happy."

"Why do you want to get married?"

"Because I love her.

"I love Molly. Can I marry her?"

"Not yet. You're still too young. "

"But you're getting married."

"And I'm old dude or at least a lot older than you."

"Oh." Max looked crestfallen.

"Do you know what the best thing about me and Janet getting is?"

"What?"

"You are going to have a sister. When Janet and I get married that will make Janet your sister."

"Really?"

"Now isn't that awesome?"

"You're going to be my sister Janet?"

"I sure am and you are going to be my brother."

"That is so cool."

"I've always wanted a brother Max and I am so glad that my brother is going to be you."

"I'm glad that you are going to be my sister." Janet leaned over and hugged the young boy next to her.

"So where is the ring?" Judee asked and Eddie and Janet laughed. "What?"

For the fourth time that day Eddie and Janet told the story of Eddie's planned proposal, the actual proposal, and the story of the ring that is too small. Judee had tears in her eyes when Eddie and Janet finished their story. She hugged her future daughter-in-law tightly.

"Janet I've always wanted Eddie to find someone who would love him, really true love him and not the idea of him and you do that. I couldn't have chosen anyone better than you if I could have chosen myself. I can't tell you how happy I am that you are going to be an official part of this family. Mitch and I love you dearly and so do both of my boys."

"I really do love Eddie, with my whole heart." Mitch came over and hugged Janet as well. Eddie watched the interaction between his family and the woman he loved and tears filled his eyes. He was so happy and it was all because of the woman whom his family was surrounding. Walking over he reached out, pulled Janet away from his dad, wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her.

"I love you forever my beautiful fiancé." Eddie told her tearfully.

"I love you too my handsome fiancé, forever." Janet responded with a smile that was full of love.

_**Thanks for reading. I hope you're not getting bored. **_


	22. Chapter 22

"So much for keeping our engagement on the down low huh?" Eddie asked as the two of them drove home from Eddie's parents. Janet was snuggled up next to Eddie while he drove with one hand on the steering wheel and the other arm around his fiancé.

"I don't know what I was thinking, keeping it to ourselves. I'm glad that everyone knows."

"Do you think Max is okay with our engagement? I thought that he would be thrilled but he wasn't." Janet knew Max's reaction was bothering him.

"Maybe he thinks that he's going to lose you to me when we get married."

"You think?"

"I don't know babe. Maybe in his mind he associates marriage with kids and maybe he thinks me and any babies that we have will take you away from him."

"That will never happen."

"I know that and you know that. Now you just need to remind Max of that." Eddie pulled into their driveway and the two of them walked hand and hand inside. "Don't worry." Janet whispered as she wrapped her arms around his neck once the door was shut and locked. "You will make Max understand that he will never lose his place in your life." Standing on her tiptoes, Janet pressed her lips to Eddie's and he responded immediately.

Eddie's hands that were resting on her waist grabbed her shirt and pulled it up over her head. Now being acutely aware of Eddie's intentions she went to work on his clothes and in a matter of minutes their clothes were on the floor around their feet. Without breaking physical contact the couple made their way towards the bedroom but Eddie couldn't make it past the couch. "Turn and bend over." He gasped and Janet giggled.

Janet did exactly as she was told. She turned her body to the back of the couch, placed her hands on the couch for support and spread her legs wide. Eddie grabbed her hip with one hand and used his other hand to guide himself inside the woman he loved and when she was filled to the hilt he groaned and Janet yelped in pleasure. The night before and this morning, when they made love it was slow and tender. Tonight they needed it to be hard and fast and that's exactly what it was. Eddie pumped himself ruthlessly inside of Janet and the only thing she could do was hold on.

"What the hell?" Eddie groaned when his cell phone began to ring from his jeans pocket.

"Don't stop." Janet begged.

"I can't." Eddie grunted and thirty seconds later Janet's cell phone rang and this time both of them groaned but made no attempt to stop and answer it. They couldn't stop even if they wanted to. What they were feeling was too good to even think about stopping. "Oh God, Janet…" Eddie moaned. He was so close.

"I'm there…" Janet knew he wanted to make sure she was ready. If he could control himself he always made sure that Janet was ready to cum when he was and tonight was no difference. Since Janet's own hands were busy caressing her breasts Eddie snuck a hand down between her legs and began rubbing her clit. "Oh….shit…" Janet groaned.

Eddie was pounding himself inside of Janet, knowing the dam was going to break very soon. Janet was meeting Eddie's thrusts, softly moaning when there was a knock on the door. Both of them were so lost in each of their impending orgasms that they couldn't react to anything but each other. Eddie had to bite his lip because he knew someone was at the door and he couldn't cry out so when his orgasm hit, he was bent over, crying out into Janet's back while Janet planted her face in the back of the couch and expelled her pleasure there.

"Was someone knocking at the door?" Eddie asked breathlessly as he pulled out of Janet and started looking for his pants. Before Janet could answer they heard another knock.

"Eddie, Janet, are you home? I see your truck Eddie." They heard from outside and Janet shot straight up. She was having trouble finding the energy to stand again.

"Oh my God. It's Max." The couple looked at each other with identical panicked expressions on their faces.

"Uhhh…hold on Max." Eddie yelled. "I'll be right there."Eddie was jumping around the living room, trying to put his jeans back on but he seemed to be having trouble while Janet was rushing around trying to gather her clothes.

"Open the door." Max yelled.

"I'm coming." Eddie had put his jeans back on but by the sound of Max's impatience, that was all he was going to get on. "Janet." Eddie whispered just before she got to their bedroom, still naked but holding her clothes. "Here." Her bra had fallen on the floor on the way to their room. He tossed it to her. Janet caught it, sent him a smile and then shut the door. Eddie took a deep breath to calm his racing heart and then he opened the door.

"What took you so long?" Max asked, stepping into the living room. "Why are you all sweaty?"

"I was exercising." Eddie looked outside for his parents but he didn't see them. "Max what is going on? What are you doing here by yourself and how did you get here?"

"Where's Janet?"

"Changing her clothes and answer my questions Max."

"I walked here."

"What? By yourself?"

"Yes."

"Oh my God, Max, you just don't do that." Eddie pulled out his phone and saw the missed call was from his parents.

"I'm not a baby."

Sighing Eddie called them back and when his mom answered she was freaking out, understandably of course. After explaining to Eddie what happened he managed to convince her to let Max stay the night with them. He hoped that he would be able to talk to his brother and find out what's going on.

"You really freaked mom out." Eddie told his brother and Max simply shrugged. "Dude, walking out without telling mom and dad is really not cool. You scared them." Max didn't respond. "Sit down. We need to talk." Just as Max took a seat Janet came out of the bedroom in sweatpants and a tee-shirt. She tossed Eddie his tee-shirt and he slid it over his head. "Max is going to stay the night." Eddie told her.

"Okay. I'm sorry that I don't have a bed for you to sleep in. You are going to have to sleep on the couch. Is that okay?" He simply nodded. "Are you hungry? Can I make you a sandwich?"

"Do you have turkey?"

"Of course I do. Turkey is your brother's favorite. Do you like lettuce, tomatoes and mayonnaise on it like Eddie does?"

"And cheese." Max informed her.

"One turkey sandwich coming up." Janet ruffled his hair and then disappeared into the kitchen to let the brothers talk.

"What's up Max?"

"Nothing."

"So why did you leave home and walk over here?"

"I dunno." And he honestly didn't know. After Molly's mom came to pick her up for no reason that he knew of, he decided to take a walk and ended up at his brother's home.

"Come on Max."

"What?"

"You didn't seem as happy as I thought you would have been when I told you that Janet and I are getting married. Does it bother you that we are going to get married?" Max shrugged. "That's not an answer dude." Eddie decided to play the "Janet" card. "For some crazy weird reason, marrying me will make Janet really happy and that doesn't make sense to me. Who would be crazy enough to want to spend the rest of their life with a weirdo like me?" Max grinned at that statement. He could always get his younger brother to smile when he dogged on himself. "You love Janet and you want her to be happy don't you?"

"I do but…" Max turned his head away from his brother.

"But what?" Eddie asked gently.

"When you and Janet get married, she's only going to love you. She won't love me anymore."

"That's not true. Janet will always love you, no matter what." Max was shaking his head as tears fell from his eyes.

"Max can I tell you a secret?" Janet asked. She had returned from making his sandwich and heard his statement. Max didn't answer. He just tried to hide his tears from her. She sat next to him and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. He leaned into her embrace and Janet cradled him. "A woman's heart is very special. It is capable of loving many people at once. That's why women are special. I promise you Max that nothing, absolutely nothing will ever make me stop loving you. Even when Eddie and I get married, I'm still going to love you. No matter how many babies Eddie and I have, I'm still going to love you. Do you understand?"

"You guys will love your babies more."

"Not more Max just differently." Eddie told him. "Max, no matter what, you are always going to be my brother and Janet's brother after we get married and we are never going to stop loving you." Before Max could respond there was a knock at the door. Eddie knew it was his mom, bringing Max's stuff over. Eddie stood and went to answer the door and Judee rushed in.

"Max are you okay?" She asked.

"I'm fine mom."

"Good. Now don't EVER leave like that again. You scared your father and I to death."

"I'm sorry mom."

"Sorry isn't good enough Max. You could have been hurt and your dad and I wouldn't have known. Why did you leave honey?"

"I don't know. I guess I just wanted to see Eddie and Janet."

"Next time, tell us and we'll see if that can be arranged. I'm sure that Eddie and Janet wanted to be alone tonight." When Judee said that, a blush formed on Janet's cheeks that Eddie noticed. He grinned and winked at her.

"Sorry mom." Max mumbled again.

"I understand that but tomorrow, when you come home you will be punished." Judee told him and Max nodded miserably. Judee kissed her youngest child. "I love you Max."

"I love you too mom. Tell dad that I love him too."

"I will. Now be a good boy and listen to Eddie and Janet."

"Yes ma'am."

"Can I talk to you two?" Judee asked.

"Max, eat your sandwich. Janet and I will be out on the porch if you need us." Eddie told his brother.

"Talking about me?"

"Probably." Eddie grinned at his brother and then he and Janet followed his mom out onto the porch.

"Are you guys sure that it's okay for Max to stay here?" Judee asked.

"It's no problem."Janet assured her fiancé's mother.

"I just don't know what got into him. He's never done anything like this."

"I think he was a little upset about the engagement."

"Why on earth would he be upset?"

"He was afraid that Janet wouldn't love him once we were married."

"He adores you Janet and the thought of losing you, to him is unbearable."

"He's not going to lose me."

"I can see that. Thanks for letting Max stay." Judee hugged the happy couple. "Call me if you have any problems."

"We will."

Once they returned inside they popped a DVD in and the three of them squeezed together on the couch; Janet in the middle with a Latekka man on either side of her and it wasn't long, maybe forty-five minutes into the movie that both boys were snoring in her ears. "Babe, come on, let's go to bed. We've got a big day tomorrow."

"Mmmm. K." Janet stood and went to the linen closet to grab a pillow, sheet and a couple of blankets. When she returned to the couch Eddie had fallen back asleep. Janet shook Eddie again and this time he stood. Next she moved on to Max. "Hey buddy. It's time for bed." Max groaned but opened his eyes.

"Come on dude. Let's go brush our teeth." Eddie pulled Max up and they went into the bathroom while Janet made up the couch for Max. Janet remembered from vacation that Max liked to drink a glass of milk before going to bed so she went and poured him a glass. She was setting it on the table when they returned.

"Thank you Janet." Max said. He sat on the couch, picked up and chugged the milk.

"You're welcome. I put an extra blanket on the coffee table in case you get cold okay?" Max nodded as he finished his milk. "Do you need anything?" She asked.

"No thank you." Eddie took the empty milk glass to the kitchen while Max laid down on the couch. "Janet?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you leave a light on? I sometimes get scared in new places. "

"I'll leave the kitchen light on and if you do get scared, our bedroom is right there." Janet pointed. "We'll leave the door open so if you need us, just yell."

"I will."

"Night Max. Sleep tight." Eddie said, giving his brother a friendly, brotherly tap.

"Good night Max." Janet leaned over and kissed his cheek. "I love you."

"I love you too. Night Eddie."

Ten minutes later Janet had crawled into bed and into Eddie's waiting arms. He kissed her head and then her lips quickly since he knew that it could go no farther because his brother was practically sleeping right outside their door. "Thank you for loving and accepting my brother for who he is." He told her once she settled into his embrace.

"You know I love Max."

"I knew, I always knew, even before I ever introduced you two that you would be good to him and maybe one day even love him."

"You know I do and you know that I would never hurt him." Eddie was silent for a minute.

"You're going to make a really, really great mom one day Janet."

"You think?"

"I do."

"We have to promise each other something."

"Okay."

"No matter how busy or lives get we have to promise each other that we will always make time for Max. I never want him to feel that I stole his beloved brother away from him."

"We will always make time for Max. In fact…"

"Uh oh. Whenever you in fact that means that you have been thinking."

"You make that sound like a bad thing."

"Well…" Eddie reached out and slapped her butt.

"I like the fact that Max is spending the night. If it's okay with you, I would like for him to hang out here with us more often."

"I'm good with that."

"If that's the case then maybe we should think about getting a bigger place so, ya know, Max could sleep in a bedroom and not on the couch."

"So the whole reason you want to get another house is so Max can have a bed?" Janet asked with a grin.

"This house was great, the perfect size for you but now there is me. We'll be getting married and hopefully starting a family. We're starting a new life together so what better way to start it then to by our own home."

"I love that idea."

"Really?"

"What did you think that I would want to live here forever? Put our child in a drawer to sleep?"

"So you're good with this?"

"I am good with buying a house with my future husband, a place where we will make memories and raise our family. How could I not be good with it?" Janet lifted her face and kissed him. "I love you, so much."

"Me too honey."

* * *

"Dance with me." Eddie demanded of his fiancé.

"My feet hurt." She whined. It amazed her that Eddie was the same man who in their first attempt at a relationship refused to dance now danced with her at every opportunity.

"Not my fault. You should have thought of that before you danced with your dad, my dad, numerous dances with Max, and even freaking Ikey. You don't get to dance with everyone else but me."

"The few slow songs that I wasn't dancing with anyone, you were too busy dancing with your mom, my mom, Hannah and Grams so this ain't all my fault bubba."

"Get your ass up and dance with me." Eddie held out his hand and Janet took it.

"How can a girl say no to a request like that?" Eddie pulled Janet to her feet. "Very classy."

"I'm a classy guy." Laughing, the couple found an empty spot on the dance floor and wrapped their arms around each other. Janet laid her head on Eddie's chest while he rested his chin on her head and they swayed to the music in silence. Just being that close to each other was all that they needed.

They had both had a very busy day. Janet was up early and out of the house just as the boys were waking up. As the maid of honor, she spent the morning helping Hannah prepare for her wedding and basically never relaxed.

Now when Janet was very busy, Eddie had a pretty laid back morning. He and Max got to sleep in and when they finally did get up, they took Janet's grandmother for a leisurely breakfast where Max charmed Janet's grandmother. She absolutely adored Max and it warmed her heart to see the love and affection the Latekka boys had for her precious grandmother. After breakfast Eddie let Max tag along with him until their parents arrived for the wedding and it was a pretty good decision because Max turned out to be pretty helpful when it came to unloading, setting up and loading back up the chairs after the ceremony.

During the ceremony, Eddie and Janet both tried to do their best to pay attention to the bride and groom but they found their minds wandering. Eddie thought that his future bride to be looked absolutely beautiful, even more so then the bride, wearing the royal blue strapless bridesmaid gown and he couldn't help wondering and thinking about their future wedding and how gorgeous she would look. Now while was focusing on how Janet would look on their wedding, Janet was thinking about her wedding in general. She made mental notes about her wedding, about things she liked; she didn't like and wouldn't do. She thought about what type of flowers, what colors she wanted, what type of dresses she and her bridesmaids would wear. She imagined Eddie in a tuxedo waiting for her at the end of aisle. He looked good in a suit so she knew he would look hot as hell in a tux. Eddie and Janet were both caught off guard when the bride and groom sealed their commitment with a kiss because they were so lost in their own thoughts.

"Thank you for the dance." Eddie told Janet when the slow song ended and a fast one came on.

"I guess I can always make time to dance with you."

"You better." Eddie leaned over and kissed her quickly.

"Do you feel like giving a lady a hand?"

"Sure. Where would you like that that hand?"

"Really?" Eddie simply smiled. "I need to take the gifts out to Nick's car and you're going to help me."

"How about "Please Eddie, will you help me take the presents out to Nick's car?"

"I tried but you turned it into a sexual advance so no. Now let's go."

"Yes ma'am."

"Yes ma'am is right." Janet teased.

After getting Nick's keys out of Hannah's purse Eddie and Janet went over to the gift table where she preceded to load his arms up with gifts and a promise to be behind him with her load. Eddie had so many gifts in his arms that it was hard to walk. He could just barely see over the top. He was concentrating on seeing in front of him that he was surprised when his left foot tripped over something and the gifts went flying to the ground.

"Opps." Eddie turned to his left and saw Matt Lausch, Mark Brunson and John Potter, the three guys that jumped him along with Ray Cataldo.

"I don't recall you being on the guest list." Eddie told the three of them.

"This is a public place. We have the right to be here." Mark said.

"We just were cruising around and decided that we needed a drink and there happens to be a bar here." John added.

"Then take your asses to Sully's. There is no reason for you to be here."

"I just wanna wish the bride and groooom happiness." Ray slurred and that was what Eddie was afraid of. He knew the instant he saw the four of them that they were here to start trouble with Nick and Hannah.

"What does your wife think of that Big Cat?" Ray and Christine got back together soon after his wedding with Hannah didn't happen. They remarried three months ago.

"Shut the hell up Latekka." Ray practically growled.

"Go home. No one, especially Nick and Hannah want to see you."

"It's a free country and I can come and go as I please."

"You're not welcome."

"The punk Garrett wasn't welcome in this town but that didn't stop him."

"It's a town. You can't keep someone out of a town and you were the only one who didn't want him back here. "

"You didn't."

"I got over it."

"Garrett took everything from me. He took my job…" Eddie had to fight not to grin.

"No we didn't. We just took most of your window work."

"He took my girl and my son." Eddie stepped forward and got in Ray's face, pointing his finger.

"Number one and most important Sam IS NOT your son. He never was. He is Nick's son. Secondly, you knew, just like everyone else in this damn town that Nick and Hannah belonged together. Sure, things were fine when Nick was gone but everyone knew that when Nick came home that he and Hannah would eventually be together."

"You son of a bitch." Ray took a swing at Eddie but he was so drunk that he missed by a mile. Eddie knew he wouldn't connect so he didn't move.

Meanwhile Janet was walking out into the parking lot with gifts and Max as an escort. Max was talking her ear off. As soon as she stepped outside she saw Eddie and the group of guys surrounding him. As she got closer she was able to make out more details. The first thing she noticed was Nick and Hannah's wedding gifts on the ground. The second thing she realized was who the men were surrounding Eddie. When she saw Ray take a swing she froze and turned to Max.

"Max you have to do me a very important favor."

"Who is with Eddie?" Janet set her gifts on the ground.

"Max listen to me. I need you to go inside and tell Owen and Ikey to come outside." Max nodded. "After you do that I need you to tell your dad and my dad to come out here. Do you remember who my dad is?"

"Yeah. I remember."

"Can do that for me Max? Can you go get them?" He nodded. "Please hurry." Max turned and hurried back inside and Janet rushed over to her fiancé. "Eddie." She called when she got close to him. He heard her but didn't turn to her.

"Hey Janet. Go back inside." She ignored him and walked up to the men.

"What's going on?" She asked.

"I just came by to congratulate the happy couple."

"I'll pass the word."

"So still eating your pizza with a knife and fork huh Eddie?" Janet looked over at Eddie and saw his face turn red with anger and his fist clenched. "How's that working out for you Latekka?"

"Go to hell Lausch." Eddie said through clenched teeth and Janet immediately realized that when Eddie punched Matt at Best Friend Windows he probably made a comment like that or maybe that was the actual comment that he made. She placed a hand on his arm to help him relax but it didn't.

"What is it you're eating? Supreme? If that's the case I can understand why you are eating it with a knife and fork cause there are a lot of toppings to get through, if you know what I mean." Matt taunted.

"You son of a bitch." Eddie growled and instantly Eddie drew his arm back and slugged Matt square in the jaw. Janet yelled at him to stop and either he didn't hear her through his rage or he ignored her.

"Hey Eddie." Owen came up and pulled Eddie back. "He's not worth it."

"Traitor." Ray yelled pointing his finger at Ikey.

"Get the hell out of here before I kick all of your asses." Eddie shouted from behind Owen.

"Worked really well for you the first time didn't it?" Max said with a grin and Eddie launched himself forward but Ikey and Owen held him back.

"Oh look. Here comes your moron brother to save your ass." Matt said laughing.

Owen and Ikey had always looked out for Max like he was their brother and hearing Matt call Max a moron really pissed them off so they loosened their grip on Eddie which allowed him to lunge at Matt. In their minds, Matt deserved it. The second that Eddie's fist connected with Matt, Mark and John jumped in which caused Owen and Ikey to jump in and in an instant it was chaos.

Not thinking, Janet jumped in, trying to pull Eddie away and ended up on the ground when Eddie pushed her away not realizing it was her. Max ran over to his Janet. She was furious and not even Max's innocent comforting didn't take it away. She couldn't believe that Eddie was acting like a child.

"Break it up." Mitch shouted coming onto the scene with Janet's dad. The two men easily separated the six men. Ray was just standing there; laughing and watching the whole thing unfold.

"You boys get the hell out of here before I call the cops." Patrick yelled at Mark, John, Ray and Matt. No one moved. "NOW." The men stood there, glaring at each other and finally ten seconds later, the four invited guests sulked away muttering threats as they went.

"I'd love to see you try asshole." Eddie yelled at them in response to one of their threats. Mitch stepped in front of his son.

"Grow up Eddie." Mitch snapped. "You are thirty years old and tonight you acted like a stupid teenager."

"He called Max a moron and he …" Eddie had to take a deep breath to calm himself down. "And he was talking crap about Janet. What was I supposed to do Dad? Let him get away with it?"

"You could have acted like the adult that you supposedly are and told him to shut his damn mouth and then walk away. Not everything needs to solved with your fists. Grow up son." Mitch turned and walked away.

"Are you okay sweetheart? Are you hurt?" Patrick asked his daughter.

"Just my pride." She mumbled, biting her lip. She didn't want to cry.

"What happened?"

"I just got caught up in the mess." Janet reached her hand out and her father pulled her to her feet, just in time for Eddie to see that.

"Are you okay honey?" Eddie asked, rushing over to her. Patrick respectfully stepped away.

"Don't." Janet said when he reached for her and Eddie realized what he did.

"I'm sorry Janet."

"I said don't. I don't want to hear it." She walked away from him and over to Ikey and Owen. "Please, do not breathe a word of this to Hannah and Nick. I don't want anything ruining their day." Janet noticed the bruises beginning to form on their faces along with swelling of their jaws. "Just stay in the dark as much as you can, please."

"Yeah sure thing Janet." Owen agreed and Ikey nodded.

"Maybe you can finish what you came out here to start?" Janet told/suggested to Eddie.

"No problem." They stood there for a minute, not speaking before Janet walked away from him.

* * *

A half an hour later Nick and Hannah had left for the mini-honeymoon as had most of the guests. Eddie began to look for Janet, to see when she would be ready to leave but he couldn't find her anywhere.

"Bye Eddie." Max surprised him by wrapping his arms around his brother in a big bear hug. "Thanks for letting me stay the night."

"No problem. We loved having you."

"Bye honey." Judee hugged her son.

"Bye mom." Eddie gave his mom a kiss. "By the way, have you seen Janet?"

"She left about ten minutes ago with her parents." Mitch told him.

"Oh." Now, Eddie really felt like crap. "I'll call you guys."

"You better." Judee warned.

"Dad." Judee took Max's hand and walked away, leaving the two men alone. "Thanks for bailing me out."

"I know that you have an innate need to protect your loved ones but honestly son, did you really have to use your fists?"

"You're right. I just got so mad."

"I get that and I don't blame you for reacting like you did but how did that work out for you? You're going to have a black eye and swollen jaw, your fiancé left with her parents. Was it worth it? Did you accomplish anything?"

"No sir."

"Think about this the next time you want to hit someone."

"During the fight, I pushed Janet down. I didn't even realize that I did it. I think I really pissed her off."

"Then I suggest you get home and fix it."

_**Thanks for reading! **_


	23. Chapter 23

Janet just turned off the water in the bathtub when she heard the front door slam shut and she knew that Eddie was home and not to happy that she left the wedding with her parents and not him. With a sigh she slipped into the tub, into the hot water and under the bubbles. Even though she was expecting it, she jumped when he banged on the door. He couldn't come in since she locked the door.

"What in the hell are you doing?" He yelled from the other side.

"I'm taking a bath?"

"With the door locked."

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because I'm mad at you and I don't want to see you right now."

"I'm not having this conversation with you from the other side of a locked door."

"Fine because I don't want to have this conversation with you right now so leave me alone and let me bathe in peace."

"Fine."

Janet's bath was far from peaceful. She was feeling very conflicted. She was so pissed off at Eddie for getting into a fist fight at their best friends' wedding but on the other hand she loved the fact that he defended his brother but he could have done it differently. He could have been an adult about the situation.

Now where she was on the fence with defending Max, she had mixed feelings about the defending her part of the night. She loved the fact that her man was willing to beat someone's ass over a rude comment about her because he loved her that much and didn't want to see her hurt but there was a part of her that hated, really hated, that he had to defend her. So she wasn't tall and thin. Eddie loved her for who she was and as long as she was happy with the way she looked it shouldn't matter what anyone else thought but the question that was weighing on her mind was, was she happy with her weight?

When Eddie first began telling her that she was beautiful, it took awhile for her to believe that he was telling the truth but with his charm, he managed to finally convince her that he was being completely honest with her but now that they are engaged she has been looking at things, herself differently and hearing Matt's comment about eating the supreme pizza, she knew exactly what he meant by it. Supreme pizzas had every single topping on it which meant a bigger, fatter pizza. Matt said she was like a supreme pizza, fat and Janet knew most of the town thought of her that way as well.

An engagement meant a wedding which meant a wedding dress that she was going to have to wear in front of who knows how many people and she didn't want to be the fat bride that everyone would laugh at and talk about months after the wedding. She could hear them now.

"Really? She picked that dress?"

"Does she think that dress makes her look thin?"

"Her butt looks enormous in that dress."

"Did you see how she looked standing next to him?"

She didn't want to embarrass Eddie on their wedding day. She didn't want to look back at pictures and see a large woman standing next to a thin man. She wanted him to stand next to her and be proud of the beautiful, thin woman he was marrying, not ashamed or embarrassed.

By the time the water had turned cold and she was shivering she made a tentative life changing choice. She got out of the tub, dried herself off and stood in front of the mirror naked so she could have a really good look at herself. With a critical eye she examined her body and she did not like what she saw. It wasn't as if she was really large but she knew it could be better. As she put her robe on she decided that she was going to whatever it took to lose weight so on their wedding day, Eddie could say "I do" to a thin woman.

Eddie heard the bathroom door open but he didn't even look up from the ESPN highlights he was watching and Janet found that irritated her even more. She walked into their bedroom and slammed and locked the door. She put on her pajama's combed out her hair and then grabbed Eddie's pillows. She opened the door and tossed them to him.

"What the hell Janet?"

"Good night."

"Seriously? You're making me sleep out here?"

"Children don't get to sleep in the same bed as a grown woman."

"Children. Ha ha. Really funny."

"You were the one acting like a child Eddie, not me."

"I already got a lecture from my dad. I sure as hell don't need one from you."

"Well then I guess that it is a good thing that I am going to bed."

"Now who is acting like a child? You're mad so you're going to bed to pout." Janet glared at Eddie and he glared right back.

"Max didn't have any complaints about the couch last night so you should be comfortable. Goodnight sweetheart." The sarcasm was dripping from Janet's voice as she shut and locked the door. Eddie picked up one of the pillows and threw it against the bedroom door.

"Yeah. That's not childish." He mumbled to himself.

* * *

Sleep did not come easily for either Eddie or Janet. Eddie was just plain furious. He was furious with Matt for pushing his buttons. He was furious with himself for letting Matt push his buttons and he was really furious with Janet. He couldn't believe that she was really this mad over what happened. He punched the jackass Matt for her and Max. She should be grateful not mad.

Eddie didn't fall asleep until three in the morning. He could not get comfortable on the couch. He tried putting his head on both ends but that didn't work plus his feet hung over the edge. He knew the main reason that he couldn't get comfortable was simply because Janet wasn't next to him. He hated fighting with her and that alone was weighing on his mind which was the main reason he couldn't sleep.

Now Janet on the other hand, fell asleep right away simply because she was exhausted. It had been a long day, physically and mentally but despite that exhaustion her body and mind woke her up about five thirty and the first thing on her mind was her fight with Eddie. She missed him. She missed the sound of his soft snoring that always seemed to lull her to sleep. She missed his warm body next to her. She hated fighting with him and briefly considered the fact that she was unreasonable but quickly dismissed it. Eddie deserved to sleep on the couch.

Finally at seven thirty Janet couldn't take it anymore and got out of bed. As quietly as she could she came out of the bedroom and found Eddie sleeping on the couch. He was still wearing his dress pants but his dress shirt was on the floor but the tee shirt that he wore under the dress shirt remained. One leg was slung over the back of the couch and his other was on the floor. One hand was behind his head and the other was resting on his stomach. He looked so cute. Janet took a few tentative steps to towards the couch and looked at his handsome face. Once eye was swollen as was his jaw and he had a bruise that had formed on his left cheek. He was going to be in some pain.

Seeing Eddie sleeping on the couch, looking peaceful Janet instantly felt guilty for banning him to the couch and she owed him. Not wanting to wake her sleeping beauty she snuck back into her room and then out of the house ten minutes later with an apple in hand. It was a nice morning so she decided to walk to the bakery and get Eddie some cream sticks, his favorite doughnut. Janet always enjoyed walking. She enjoyed being out in fresh air and the time alone to think. An added bonus was walking was a great start to her plan to lose weight.

Forty five minutes later, Janet was walking back into her front door. Eddie was still sleeping. She set the bag on the coffee table and then leaned over and pressed her lips to his. She figured that he would like waking up like that.

"Ow." He groaned as his eyes fluttered opened.

"Sorry. Your jaw?"

"Yeah. My jaw."

"It's your own fault."

"Starting all ready?" Eddie pulled himself into a sitting position.

"Sorry." Janet held out the bag. "Maybe this will help." Without hesitation, he took the bag and pulled out a cream stick.

"It helps a little." He took his first bite and half of the stick was gone. As soon as that bite was chewed he finished his doughnut by shoving the remaining in his mouth. "Want?" He had pulled out a second cream stick and was offering it to her.

"No thanks. I already ate." It wasn't technically a lie. She did eat. She ate an apple. He shrugged and started in on the second cream stick. "Coffee?"

"Sure." He answered with a mouthful.

Janet started the coffee and while it was brewing she made Eddie an ice back for his eye and jaw. By the looks of it, he needed it. Once the coffee was done, she made two cups just the way they both liked it and returned to the couch with.

"Thank you." Eddie said taking the ice pack and his cup of coffee. Janet took the seat next to him and they sat their silently drinking their coffee and not speaking and both of them hated it but at this point both of them were being so damn stubborn and neither wanted to be the first to give in.

"So how are we going to do this?" Janet finally asked after she refilled their coffee.

"I am not apologizing." Eddie blurted.

"Did I ask you to?" Janet countered.

"You want me to but I refuse to apologize for defending you and Max and given the opportunity, I would do it again."

"I don't have a problem that you defended Max or even me for that matter. I hate that people are so ignorant that you have to defend us but that's the world we live in. It's the way that you defend that I have a problem with." Eddie sighed in irritation.

"Should we of sat down and talked about our feelings?"

"Really? You want to act like an ass Eddie?"

"What should I have done Janet? He called Max a moron. He called you…he said…" He couldn't say what Matt was implying. He couldn't stand to see the look of hurt on her face.

"You could have walked away. Matt knows how to push your buttons. Nothing sends you over the edge more than someone talking shit about me or Max and Matt knows that which is why he does it."

"He needs to be put in his place and learn to keep his damn mouth shut and socking him in the jaw may be the only way he learns."

"How is that going for you? From where I stand it doesn't seem to be the greatest plan in world. This is the second time you and gone toe to toe with Matt and the first time wasn't very successful for you was it?"

"The last time it was me against three. This time was more evenly matched." Janet shook her head.

"Seriously? You sound like you are twelve."

"If your dad and my dad didn't break it up we would have taken them down which by the way how did they know what was going on?"

"When I saw those jerks surrounding you I had a feeling that their help would be needed and apparently, I was right."

"Send my dad out like I am a freaking kid."

"When you act like a child then you should be treated like one."

"I'm not a kid Janet. I am a grown man."

"A grown man who could go to jail for fighting. Do you want to go to jail? Is Matt Lausch and his mouth worth that? You aren't a kid who can get suspended from school for fighting. There are serious consequences Eddie." Eddie was silent. He went to the kitchen, refilled his coffee and returned a few minutes later will a full cup. "Thanks but I'm fine." Janet said sarcastically. With a sigh, Eddie took her cup and refilled it.

"Here."

"Gee thanks." Janet took a sip of her coffee and of course, Eddie made it exactly how she liked it. "I'm sorry I'm snappy."

"You don't understand what it does to me when Matt or anyone makes a comment about you or Max."

"Do you feel better? Did getting into a fight make you feel better?"

'No." He mumbled. Janet set her coffee down and grabbed Eddie's hand.

"I know why you did it Eddie and as a girl, I love that you want to defend me and I love that you defend your brother but does it really matter what other people think?"

"I guess not."

"Does it really matter what anyone else thinks of me?" Eddie shook his head. "The only person's opinion that matters to me is yours." Okay, so it was half truth. Eddie's opinion was really the only one that truly mattered to her but the thought of what other people might say about her on her wedding day is what pushed her to diet.

"I think that you are the most beautiful woman I have ever laid on eyes on."

"And that's all that matters." Janet pulled Eddie towards her and kissed him softly, careful not to make his jaw hurt any worse.

"I'm sorry." He whispered when they broke apart.

"Seeing all of you guys throwing punches really scared me. You were so mad that you couldn't see straight or hear a word I said. I begged you to calm down but either you ignored me or didn't hear me but do you know what scared me most?" Janet didn't wait for an answer. "You were so mad and when I grabbed your arm to try and stop you, you shoved me away. I fell and it never even registered with you. I never want to see that side of you again." Eddie cringed at the memory of seeing Janet on the ground because of him.

"You are right. I was so mad that your touch or voice didn't even register. God babe, I am so, so sorry. I hope that you know that I would never, ever intentionally hurt you. I was just so damn mad."

"And that is what scares me. What happens if you get mad like that again?" Tears filled both of their eyes and began to fall. "What if…"

"I am promising you right now that I will never, ever hurt you no matter how mad I get. Please babe, you have to believe me." He was desperate. He was nauseated just thinking that she thought that he may hurt her. That was the last thing he would ever do.

"I believe you."

"Honestly?"

"Yes Eddie. I believe you."

"Thank God."

"Now you have to promise me the next time because you know that there will be a next time but the next time that Matt starts running his mouth you will walk away. You'll prove that you are the better man by doing that."

"I promise Janet." Eddie turned and grimaced slightly, something Janet noticed.

"Does your back hurt?"

"Yeah. The couch isn't the best place to sleep."

"I 'm sorry. Let me help. Scoot up." Eddie pushed himself up to the edge of the couch while Janet placed herself on top of the couch." How about a massage?" She reached out and placed her hands on his shoulders.

"Sounds good." Eddie would never turn down a massage from Janet since she was pretty good at it.

"I'm sorry that I made you sleep on the couch."

"You should be. You know that I'm not as young as I used to be."

"I was just so mad and exhausted and I just didn't wanna fight and I knew that if I let you in bed or the bedroom that we would just end up fighting and I just wasn't in the mood."

"Did you sleep good?"

I actually fell right asleep."

"Ohhh. Yeah. Right there." Now that she found a good spot Janet continued massaging it. "That is so not fair. I was up half the damn night." Janet leaned forward and kissed his neck.

"If it helps, I have been up since five thirty thinking."

"It helps a little. Hmm harder."

"Usually I'm the one saying that." She whispered in his ear; her breath against his neck brought goosebumps to his flesh. Eddie slowly and somewhat painfully turned to his fiancé.

"I love you Janet. Thanks for having my back yesterday."

"Always babe. I will always have your back." Before he could respond, Eddie yawned. "I have an idea." Eddie's eyes lit up. "Since it's barely nine o'clock how about you and I…"

"Yeah?"

"How about we turn our phones off and take a nap?"

"Not exactly what I had in mind."

"You're back hurts babe. Maybe if we sleep on the bed then your back will feel better."

"I am pretty tired so we will nap cause you are going to need your energy because when we wake up we are going to make mad, loud crazy love."

"Sounds like a plan." Eddie stood, pulled Janet off of the couch and the two of them fell into bed together. Janet was on her side and Eddie was spooning her and they were asleep within minutes and unlike the night before they both slept peacefully wrapped in each other's comforting embrace.

* * *

"Gin." Grams announced and Janet tossed her cards in frustration.

"You're cheating Grams." Janet accused with a smile.

"Now Janey, you know that I don't cheat."

"Then how else are you winning every single game?"

"Because I am a very good player. Your grandfather taught me well."

"He taught me too but I just can't seem to beat you."

"Keep trying girl. Maybe one day, you will win. Come on, deal again." Grams demanded pushing all of the cards over to her granddaughter.

It was Friday and it was the last night that Grams would be back in town. Janet's mom was driving her back to Rhode Island the next day. Janet had spent every free minute that she could with her Grams. She had spent quite a lot of time at the senior center playing Bingo, Grams' favorite game which Janet had also not won but of course, Grams managed to take away a couple of jackpots Twice during the week Grams had come to the hotel to share a meal. Once Lillian brought her in for lunch and one evening Eddie brought Grams in for dinner and yesterday the three of them went to Boston to see "Bye Bye Birdie. Eddie loved the attention that he got from both women. He felt like the king of the world walking into the theater with Janet on one arm and Grams on the other and during the show Eddie sat in between the two woman and his heart broke for both of them when he saw tears falling from their eyes during the show each of them thinking of Gramps and that night Janet cried herself to sleep in Eddie's strong arms.

"Look it's my two favorite girls." Eddie had just gotten home from work and immediately came over to the table and greeted Edith first with a kiss and then he came around the table and kissed Janet. With Edith around Janet became a second wheel, became second best when Edith was around and Janet had no problem being second.

"You smell like sweat." Janet commented.

"Hello to you too sweetheart." Eddie looked at Janet's cards. "Grams has got you babe."

"Go away." Janet grumbled and Eddie grinned.

"I'm going to shower."

"We're leaving in twenty."

"Yes dear." Eddie walked into their bedroom just as Grams called Gin again and he laughed when he heard Janet growl with frustration.

Fifteen minutes later a freshly showered and shaved Eddie returned to the girls to find Janet losing yet again. "This is just plain ridiculous. I'm never playing with you again."

"You say that every time Janey. Your desire to beat me overpowers your stubbornness."

"One day Grams, one day I will beat you."

"I look forward to that. Eddie, you're going to have to play with Janey so she can beat me."

"You got it Grams." Janet stood, walked over to Eddie and hugged him tightly,

"You smell better." She mumbled into his neck.

"I have something for you."

"I love surprises. "

"Sit." Janet cocked an eyebrow at him. "Please sit." Janet took the seat that Grams had just vacated. Eddie came over and knelt down on one knee in front of her.

"Didn't we already do this?"

"Yeah but last time the ring didn't fit. This time, it will."

"You got my ring?" Janet's blue eyes sparkled with excitement.

"I got your ring." Eddie pulled the box out of his pocket and opened it. "Will you marry me Janet?" Janet pulled her engagement ring out of the box and slid it onto her left ring finger.

"I suppose I could agree to that."

"You suppose?" The couple grinned at each other and for a moment, they forgot Edith was even in the room.

"Yes Eddie, Yes I will marry you." Eddie sat up on his knees, pulled Janet down to his face and the two shared a passionate kiss only stopping when Edith began to cough, reminding the couple that she was still in the room.

"Sorry Grams." Janet said as she wiped her mouth and a blush rose on her cheeks.

"Don't be sorry for loving your guy. Now let me see your ring."

"Yes ma'am." Grams walked over and lifted Janet's hand and examined the ring.

"You did good Eddie. This ring is more beautiful in person than the picture portrayed."

"Thanks Grams but I didn't do anything spectacular. I just picked out a ring."

"You know Janey well enough to pick out the perfect ring, a ring that she is going to love wand wear for the rest of her life. You picked out the perfect ring because you love her."

"That I do Grams."

* * *

"There is still time to back out if you want." Janet whispered as they walked up to her parent's front door.

"I'm exactly where I want to be." Eddie wrapped around her shoulders and they walked into her parent's house.

Today was the twentieth anniversary of Janet's twin brother's death. Since he died when her dad was stationed in Germany when Alexander died he had to be buried in Germany so the family really didn't have a place to go to remember him so every year on the anniversary of his death the family gathered together to remember the son, grandson and brother they all lost.

"I'm glad you came." Patrick came over and shook Eddie's hand.

"Janet needs me." It was that simple to Eddie. Janet needed him so he made himself available to her.

"Do you know much about Alex?"

"Not really. Janet really doesn't talk about him."

"Come on." Patrick grabbed them both a beer and led them out to the deck. He didn't want to risk upsetting his daughter.

"Alex and Janet were two peas in a pod from the minute that they were born. When we brought them home from the hospital they both cried unless they were sleeping together in the same crib. I think they slept in the same crib until they were a year and a half and after they out grew the crib they each had their own bed in the same bedroom. We tried to separate them, tried to give them their own rooms but they refused to be separated so they shared a room for Alex's entire life." Patrick took a drink of his beer.

"Whenever you saw Alex, you saw Janet. One never went somewhere without the other. They had their own little secret twin language and we would find them talking and laughing about an inside joke. Janet didn't really start talking until she was about four years old because she didn't need to talk. Alex did all the talking for both of them and once she did start talking, she only ever repeated what Alex said or agreed with him."

"Janet was never really independent but she didn't have to be. She had Alex. When they would have to start a new school, which they did often because I was always being transferred, Alex would march in, holding his sister's hand and letting everyone know under no uncertain terms that she was not to be messed with. Sound like anyone you know?" Eddie smiled softly. Alex sounded a lot like himself.

"We knew from the beginning that Alex's heart wasn't perfect and even though we never came out and told Janet exactly what was going on, she seemed to know. Whenever Alex got tired or a sniffle Janet was the first one to rat him out to Kat. The first time his heart started to fail and he was in the hospital we couldn't get Janet away from him. She refused to leave, refused to go home. When she wants to be she can be stubborn."

"Tell me about it."

"After Alex's heart transplant when he was seven, things were good. He was healthy and we were all happy. We had been in Germany for about six months when his transplanted heart rejected and it must be some weird twin thing but Janet was the first to alert us that something wasn't right. His last two weeks were spent in the hospital with all of us by his side but Janet more than any of us. She only left his side at night when we had to drag her out of the hospital kicking and screaming, literally. They wouldn't let her stay except the last night of Alex's life. Janet fought us more than normal about leaving. She absolutely refused to leave that night and the nurses finally relented and let us all stay. Kat and Lil slept and I dozed on and off all night but Janet, she stayed awake all night talking and whispering to Alex."

"Sounds like twin intuition; if it exists?"

"I believe that it does exist and if you would too if you would have seen Alex and Janet together. In between my naps I woke up and heard the two of them talking, which was a surprise because Alex had been unconscious for days. I heard Alex promise his sister something."

"What did he promise?" Eddie whispered.

"He promised her that he was always going to be watching over her from heaven so she wasn't going to be by herself even though he wasn't there and one day he would make sure that someone would love her forever like he does. That was a nine year olds' way of telling his sister that he was going to make sure that she would find someone who loved her unconditionally like he does; someone that would love her forever and protect her heart from pain."

"And here you are." Patrick and Eddie both looked up in surprise when they heard Janet's voice. Neither of them heard her come outside. Janet had been outside with her own thoughts walking. When she came around the side of the house she heard her dad telling her fiancé the story of her twin brother and she stood quietly listening and remembering. Janet walked up on the deck and planted herself on Eddie's lap. He lifted his head and kissed her softly, tasting her tears.

"Sweetheart." Eddie whispered.

"I'm okay."

"Angel, we didn't mean to upset you. That's why we came outside. "

"Daddy, really I am fine. I'm glad you told Eddie about Alex since I never could and babe, please, don't take it personally that I don't talk about Alex with you. I know that it's been twenty years since I lost him, but it still hurts."

"I understand."

"Daddy, I knew once things started between Eddie and I that Alex had a hand in it. There is a lot about Eddie that reminds me of Alex. He loves me just as fiercely as Alex did."

"I do."

"I know it and every time I look at you I am reminded of that."

"After hearing all about Alex I know that you were the most important person in his life and I know exactly how he felt. Alex played a part in bringing us together and I promise you that I he won't regret it."

"Hey guys, dinner is ready." Lillian announced. Eddie and Janet shared one last soft kiss before joining her family.

Throughout the rest of the evening Janet's family shared their own memories of Alex. They laughed; they shed tears both happy and sad ones. They looked through photo albums and watched old home movies and by the end of the night Eddie felt that he knew Alex and was sad that he would never have the chance to know such an amazing person.

The Meadows' family ended the anniversary of the loss of a beloved member of their family by going outside in the backyard and letting go of green balloons. Green was Alex's favorite color. Kat picked up the balloons and made sure that she had one for Eddie and he was touched that Kat thought to include in this emotional and private family moment and he said as much on the way home.

"You're family now Eddie. Of course we are going to include you."

"Would he have liked me Janet?"

"Yes Eddie. Alex would have liked you. No wait, he would have loved you simply because you love me."

"I'm not going to let him down."

"I know babe.


	24. Chapter 24

"Janet, a package just arrived for you." Laura the girl who was working the check in desk said from the door of Janet's office.

"Thanks. Come on in." Laura walked in and handed Janet the wrapped brown package.

"It wasn't addressed to the hotel. It was addressed to you so I didn't open it." Part of Laura's job was to open all incoming mail and packages for the hotel.

"I appreciate it. It's a gift for Eddie." Janet lied. It wasn't a gift for him. It was something for her.

"Men love surprises."

"Eddie sure does." Laura smiled at her boss and turned to leave. "Can you shut the door behind you please?"

"Sure thing."

Once the door was shut Janet opened the package and pulled out the diet pills she ordered off of the internet. She had been dieting for two weeks and had only lost eight pounds and the first five pounds were lost in the first week. The second week she had lost the last three pounds. She was frustrated. She needed to lose weight and she needed to lose it fast so she turned to the internet and found some diet pills that were supposed to speed up her metabolism which would in turn would cause her to drop the pounds. She opened the package and popped a pill out of the package. Before taking it she glanced at her engagement ring which served as a reminder of why she needed to lose weight. She was doing it for Eddie. She was doing it to make him proud of her. Picking up the bottle of water on her desk she placed the pill in her mouth and swallowed it.

* * *

"Lane 29 your order is up."

Eddie, Janet, Max, Molly, Nick, Hannah, Sam and Doodie were all at the bowling alley for some Friday night fun. Max had asked if Molly could come and Sam wanted Doodie to come so the four of them decided to make it a fun filled family friendly night. After they were done bowling Max was coming over and spending the night again with Eddie and Janet. Since his first overnight Max has spent the past two, tonight makes three, Friday nights of the weekends that Janet worked. The three of them spent Friday evenings together while the boys spent Saturday together.

"That's us." Eddie announced. "Come on Nicky."

"Hurry back." Max shouted after them and everyone laughed.

"How is the commander?" Eddie asked as the two of them stepped to the back of the line.

"Holding his own. He's had a couple of good days which is why I'm good with being here. Ronnie and Aubrey are hanging out with him." Nick answered.

"That's gotta be awkward."

"What?"

"Your ex girlfriend, someone you dated and slept with is dating and sleeping with your baby brother."

"Not any more awkward then my wife and best friend sleeping together." Eddie paled.

"You…you know what happened between me and Hannah?" Nick nodded, biting the inside of his cheek so he wouldn't grin. "So why aren't you socking me in the jaw?"

"It happened a long time ago. How can I really be mad over something that happened over ten years ago? I broke Hannah's heart by not coming home and she needed comforting and you were there to provide."

"I'm not sure how comfortable it was." Both men laughed and moved forward in line. "I really wanted to tell you Nicky. I hated keeping this from you."

"I know. Hannah told me."

"How long have you known?"

"She told me soon after we started dating. She didn't want to start our relationship with secrets."

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry."

"I know. Does Janet know?"

"She knows. Just like you when we started over, we started with no secrets."

"Was she mad?"

"She was furious but not over the fact that I slept with her best friend."

"So what was she mad about?"

"You figured out why we broke up."

"I did."

"By the way, thanks for not saying anything to anyone, even me about it."

"I'll always have your back."

"Anyway, for months afterwards, I treated Janet really, really bad. You saw some of it. Well when I told Janet what had happened and why; that's when she got pissed. I did the same thing that she did and had the balls to treat her like I did."

"Yikes."

"Yeah tell me about it. She was pissed but I don't blame her. I can't blame her."

"You two have come a long way."

"We sure have." Eddie turned and looked over at Janet and a soft tender smile crossed his face, the same smile that he always wore where Janet was concerned.

"How are wedding plans going?" Eddie shrugged.

"We really haven't done much planning yet. We haven't had time. I know she booked the big banquet room at The Johnson Inn cause she gets it for free. She grabbed the first available room which is in the spring some time. She told me but I don't remember. Don't tell her." Eddie joked. "She, her mom, Lillian and Hannah and my mom are going dress shopping on Monday but that's about it. Hell man, for all I know, the whole damn wedding is planned and she has told me about it and I zoned out. I tend to do it when she is talking about the wedding. God dude, does that make me an awful fiancé?"

"No. It makes you a normal fiancé. Do you know how many times I zoned out when Hannah talked wedding?" The two men laughed as they stepped up to collect their food.

"Lane 29."Eddie said and a minute later they were handed the two pizzas they ordered along with the two pitchers of soda. "Hey, before we get back I need to talk to you about something."

"What's up?' They found a table and set their food and drinks down.

"I was wondering if you would consider hiring someone to sweep up and do other odd jobs for us."

"Someone like who?"

"Max."

"Your brother Max?"

"What other Max do you know?" Nick grinned. "Max has been working at a grocery store over in the flats, set up by the state and he has mentioned to me a few times that some customers are really mean when he bags their groceries calling him stupid and slow. I can't handle that Nicky. My brother doesn't deserve that."

"I'm fine with hiring Max. Business is good and I think that we can afford it."

"The state will pay us to pay Max. There is a program that pays companies to employ people with special needs."

"I'm game and just so you know; I was game before it wasn't going to cost us."

"I know and that means a lot to me." They grabbed their food and returned to their lane. "Food's here." Max, Molly, Sam and Doodie rushed over and Nick and Eddie wisely moved out of their way.

"Here babe." Eddie brought Janet over a couple pieces of pizza and a glass of soda since she never came to get her own plate. "You okay?" She smiled brightly at him.

"I'm fine."

"You sure?" Janet leaned over and quickly kissed him.

"I'm sure."

"So I talked to Nick and he agreed to hire Max."

"He's going to love that."

"I'm going to love it."

"I know you are."

"What's wrong? Why aren't you eating?" Eddie already had a slice of pizza gone and Janet hadn't touched her slices.

"Nothing is wrong. " Janet took a bite of pizza to show him she was fine. She really didn't want to eat but she didn't want twenty questions from Eddie. She knew he would get distracted soon and she could throw out the pizza. Part of her diet plan included not eating after seven and it was ten minutes after seven now.

"Are you sure you're okay Janet?" He sensed something was going on with her but he couldn't put a finger on it.

"Will you quit asking me? I am fine." She snapped before she could stop herself. "I'm sorry babe."

"Yeah sure. You're fine." Eddie grabbed his plate and walked away from Janet.

The kids finished their pizza and they resumed their bowling. Since they were bowling on the same lane Eddie couldn't avoid Janet and she was making it really hard to do so. She would grab his hand, pat his butt, wrap her arms around his waist and kiss his neck. Eddie was powerless to resist her touch and Janet knew it. By the end of the night Janet managed to convince Eddie that everything was fine with her, which it was. She was fine with her decision to lose weight and keep it from Eddie. She wanted him to be surprised on their wedding day when the thin version of her walked down the aisle.

* * *

"Hey Janet." Eddie called into the kitchen loudly where Janet was making them some ice cream sundaes.

"Yes Eddie?"

"Nicky and I were talking the other day and we decided that we need to hire someone else at the shop."

"Really that's great." Janet walked into the living room and handed Eddie and Max their sundaes.

"Yeah. We need someone to help us out doing things like sweeping, loading and unloading at sites and cleaning up."

"Do you have any idea who you want to hire?" Out of the corner of their eye they saw Max perk up, exactly what they had hoped for.

"I have no idea. We have to find the perfect guy to do this job. Do you know who we could hire?"

"I don't have a clue."

"Me." Max spoke up and it took everything the two of them had not to grin.

"You what?" Eddie asked.

"You could hire me. I'm really good at sweeping up stuff and I am strong like you so I could be a really good loader and unloader." Eddie feigned surprise.

"Eddie why didn't you think about hiring Max?"

"I don't know. I didn't even think Max."

"Well that's just crazy."

"So Max what do you think? Would you want to come and work for me and Nicky?"

"Yeah. I do. I promise that I will work really, really, really hard. Please Eddie, can I work with you and Nick at your window shop?"

"I guess that we can give it a try." Max practically threw his sundae across the room in excitement but at the last minute he set it down and then he hugged Eddie with everything he had.

"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. You are the best big brother in the world."

"Don't you let me down Max."

"I won't." Janet smiled at the two guys on the couch. As happy as Max was, Janet knew that Eddie was happier even though her wasn't showing it. He was protecting his brother in his own way. Eddie looked past Max and at Janet with the biggest grin on his face and Janet couldn't help but smile back.

Two hours later Eddie was climbing into bed next to his fiancé. She had given up the hour before because she had to get up the next morning for work. "Are you awake?" He whispered. When she didn't respond he gently shook her. "Are you awake?" He repeated.

"I am now." She grumbled, rolling towards Eddie.

"So Nick knows about what happened between me and Hannah."

"He knows that you two slept together?" Eddie nodded. "Was he mad?"

"Surprisingly no."

"It happened a long time ago."

"Man, if I was in his shoes I would be furious."

"You both have done a lot of growing up over the past few years." They both were silent for a few minutes, thinking of all that had changed over the years.

"Guess what Max told me tonight?"

"Hmmm?" Janet mumbled sleepily.

"He told me that when he and Molly were kissing tonight he touched her boobs."

"What?" Janet's eyes grew wide in surprise. "Are you serious?"

"Totally serious. He said that they were soft and squishy. He liked touching them."

"That can't be good."

"I told him that he should not touch a woman's boobs and he told me she asked him too."

"That can't be good either."

"Tell me about it."

"What did you tell him?"

"I told him not to do it again until he talks to mom and dad."

"It's got to be hard on him. He and Molly are teenagers with raging hormones and unable to act on them. When you were his age, I'm sure you could hardly keep it in your pants."

"I'm offended that you would think such things about me." Janet giggled in the darkness.

"I've heard the stories dude."

"I feel bad for Max. I really do. I'm afraid my brother will never know the joy of making love to the woman he loves."

"He could if he takes precautions."

"Max can barely tie his shoes so I'm sure that he can't properly put on a condom and if that doesn't happen then a baby happens and Max can't take care of a baby. He can't take care of himself."

"I realize that but maybe one day something can be figured out."

"I hope so." Eddie wrapped an arm around Janet's waist. "Did you see how happy he was about coming to work for me?"

"He loves you Eddie and he wants to make you proud and working for you is one way he can do that."

"I'm proud of him regardless simply because I love him. I'm proud of you simply because I love you too."

"I need sleep. I've got to get up in the morning." She kissed him softly. "I love you."

"I love you too." Janet rolled away from Eddie. She couldn't stop thinking about his comment to her about being proud of those he loved, simply because he loved them. He may think that he is proud of her now, but wait until he sees her on their wedding day. He will really be proud of her that day.

* * *

"So what do you think?" Janet asked coming out of the dressing room for the seventh time in yet another dress and this one was the worst yet. It was huge and poufy; the sleeves were poufy. The skirt was poufy. It had so much, for lack of a better term, crap all over it. Beads, jewels, and tons of lace filled the dress and the worst was the bows. Tiny bows everywhere and the worst was a big giant bow on her butt that in her opinion made her ass look huge.

"Well…"

"It's my favorite one so far." Janet lied.

"It's beautiful."

"It's very nice."

"I like the beads." Janet burst out laughing at everyone's attempt to make the best out of this horrible dress.

"Really? This dress is hideous."

"Oh thank God." Janet's mom, Kat breathed out.

"You are my friends and family. If something looks bad then you are required to tell me. It's the law."

"You seemed to like it sweetheart and I didn't want to hurt your feelings." Kat defended herself.

"But mom this dress is horrible and I look horrible in it. You should have told me. Would you guys really have let me walk down the aisle in this monstrosity?"

"I wouldn't." Hannah said and she was the only one who didn't compliment the dress.

"Well at least I can count on my best friend."

"If you had no intention of wearing it why did you try it on?" Lillian asked.

"It was a test. I wanted to see if you would be honest with me."

"First of all dear sister, if it's something that you like then who are we to say that you shouldn't wear it. It's your day and it's a dress that you really love than who are we to stop you. Secondly, even though the dress isn't the prettiest dress ever made…"

"That's putting it nicely." Janet muttered.

"You looked pretty in it. In fact I think the dress is prettier with you in it. You don't look bad in it."

"Did you see this bow?" Janet turned around so they could see the back of the dress. "I look like I have five asses."

"That bow is bad. Really bad." Judee commented.

"I think you were exaggerating with the five asses. I would say only three." Lillian joked and everyone laughed.

"Here I want a couple of pictures." Janet handed her phone to her sister.

"Are you going to test Eddie too?" Kat asked, shaking her head.

"Damn straight I am."

After a couple of pictures were taken Janet returned to the dressing room to try on the dress she thought she wanted again. It was a dress that Lillian had picked out and it was the second one she tried on. She loved it the instant she saw herself in the mirror but she wanted to give the other six dresses a chance before she made her choice. Before putting it back on she examined the dress to determine how much trouble it would be to take it in. She didn't have a lot of sewing experience but it looked like it would be easy enough.

Once she slipped the dress on and zipped it on she stood in front of the mirror looking at herself before stepping outside the dressing room. The dress was white and simple, a definite selling point in Janet's eyes. It had a deep v-neckline that was a tad reveling but Janet loved that fact. It was sleeveless with silver jewels on the shoulder straps. The same jewels lined the empire waistline with a chiffon skirt that lay perfectly all the way to the floor. The back was open halfway down her back.

"So what about this one?" She asked stepping back outside the room.

"Test or not, Janet that is my favorite and you look stunning in it." Hannah told her tearfully.

"You look beautiful sweetheart." Kat whispered.

"That dress is totally you." Lillian agreed.

"Perfect." Judee added. She knew when Eddie saw Janet in that dress he would be blown away by her beauty.

"You really think?" The four woman surrounding Janet shook their heads. "I think that this is the one."

"If you like it then that's what matters." Kat told her youngest daughter.

"I do. I love it." Janet then turned to Judee with a little bit of fear in her blue eyes.

"Do you think that Eddie will like it?"

"He is going to absolutely love it." Judee whispered tearfully. "You realize that no matter what dress you choose Eddie is going to think that you are beautiful. Choose the dress that you want, not the one you think Eddie will like."

"I love this dress. This is the dress that I want to marry Eddie in."

"Let's get the salesman over here." Kat said before she and Lillian took off to find their sales rep.

"Janet you are going to look beautiful." Hannah told her best friend.

"I hope so." She whispered softly as she disappeared back into the fitting room.

* * *

Eddie walked in his house after work and found Janet napping on the couch. As quietly as he could he shut the door and went and stood next to the couch. She looked so damn cute. She must have been reading when she fell asleep because she was wearing her glasses and her book was lying on her chest. He attempted to move her book but as soon as it moved her eyes fluttered opened. "Hey." She greeted sleepily.

"Hey yourself." He smiled and then kissed her hello. Once they broke their embrace, Eddie lifted her feet off of the couch, placed his butt where her feet her and placed her feet on his lap. "So shopping wore you out huh?"

"You have no idea. It's a lot of work to find the perfect dress."

"Did you?"

"Did I what?"

"Did you find the perfect dress?"

"I did."

"What does it look like?"

"Wanna see it?"

"Am I allowed?"

"Why wouldn't you be allowed to see it?"

"I thought that the groom isn't supposed to see the dress until the wedding."

"Who cares about tradition? I want you to see the dress if you want to see it."

"I want to see it." Janet pulled herself up and tucked her feet under her, found the picture of the hideous dress and handed her phone to Eddie. She watched his face but it remained blank. "Is this the dress you picked?"

"It is. What do you think?"

"Well, it's not what I would have pictured you to wear. It's all….well I don't know how to describe it but it's just not you." Eddie debated with himself over whether or not to be honest with her or just be a guy and tell her it was beautiful. He decided to be honest because if he wasn't one day he was sure that it would come back to bite him in the ass. "Honestly Janet, I don't like the dress but I'm not the one who is wearing it so if this is dress that you want to wear than I am good with it and I know that you will look beautiful." Tears filled Janet's eyes and she threw herself on Eddie, covering his face with kisses.

"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you."

"Huh?" He was so confused. He just told her that he hated her wedding dress and she was thanking him.

"Thank you for being honest with me."

"It doesn't matter to me what you wear babe. No matter what you wear, you will be beautiful." Janet settled herself on his lap, wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. "Damn." He breathed when they finally broke apart. "I think that I should tell you more often that your clothes are ugly if I am going to get this kind of reaction."

"You think my clothes are ugly?"

"No but I will lie if you are going to kiss me like this every time."

"I did not get that dress. It was the ugliest dress that I have ever seen." She grabbed her phone and scrolled to the next picture. "Look at this bow. It makes my ass look huge." Eddie laughed.

"You were testing me."

"Maybe. Are you mad?"

"Why?"

"Today everyone but Hannah basically told me that they loved the dress even though it's ugly as hell. I guess I needed to know that you would be honest with me no matter what I thought and you were and that means everything to me Eddie."

"I should be royally pissed off at you for that Janet."

"Are you?" Eddie was quiet for a minute.

"No because I know why you did but no more tests."

"No more tests." Janet caressed his cheek. "I love you." She whispered.

"I love you too. Now show me the real dress."

"No way."

"Excuse me?"

"You can't see the dress until our wedding."

"But you said you don't care about traditions."

"I was lying. I can't wait for the first time that you see me in my gorgeous wedding dress it will be as I am walking down the aisle to you to start our life together."

"We already have a life together."

"You know what I mean."

"Yes sweetheart. I know exactly what you mean." This time Eddie initiated the kiss.

"Thanks for not being mad about my test. I guess I should have thought it through better."

"Just because I'm not mad that does not mean that there won't be repercussions for your actions?"

"Repercussions?"

"Hell yeah babe." Janet knew exactly what was going to happen. She jumped out of his lap and ran towards the bedroom but he was quick and he tackled her to the bed and tickled her. Their laughter could be heard throughout the house.

"Uncle." Janet screamed through her laughter and tears.

"I'm just getting started." Eddie said with an evil grin and Janet knew it was going to be a long night.

_Thank you all so much for reading. You are the best._


	25. Chapter 25

Eddie and Janet sat at the small table for two looking over the brochures for three houses that were up for sale. They had spent the past couple of weeks going through open houses in Knights Ridge. They found a few possibilities and made appointments to go and see them again. After the appointments the two of them had narrowed it down to three homes that they liked and could most likely afford.

"Well?" Eddie asked handing Janet a beer.

"This is hard. The next thirty years of our life is sitting right here in front of us. This is a huge decision. What about if we make the wrong one?"

"It's not the next thirty years for sure. We can always sell before our mortgage is up."

"Let's make a list of pros and cons on each house and go from there." Janet suggested, getting some paper and pens for them. An hour and a half later that had talked through every pro and con for every house and they finally decided on a three bedroom brick ranch.

It was a rather large house for the two of them but they both had hopes to fill it with children one day. The kitchen was big with an island in the middle, one of Janet's favorite perks of the house. Her second favorite was the fireplace in the living room. She imagined spending many evenings with her husband in front of a fire. The bedrooms were all big and spacey as was the living and dining room. Now Eddie loved the backyard. It was big enough that their future children would have lots of room to play but not so big that he would have to spend lots of his free time maintaining it. Now Eddie's favorite part of the house was actually outside. There was as deck attached to the back but it was what was on that deck that he loved. On the deck was a hot tub and the owners were going to leave it. That in itself was the biggest selling point for Eddie. He had already enjoyed picturing him and Janet enjoying some hot tub time.

"So are you good with our choice?" Eddie asked as they cleared all the paperwork off of the table.

"I am." Janet's blue eyes were shining with excitement. "What about you?"

"Babe, you know I was sold as soon as I saw the hot tub." Janet placed all of the paperwork in a nice neat pile and then walked over and straddled Eddie's lap, placing her hands behind his neck.

"You have plans for that hot tub?" She asked.

"You know I do." Eddie reached up and pulled Janet down so they could share a kiss.

"I am so excited but I don't want to get my hopes up because if they don't accept our offer than it will totally suck. I really, really love that house."

"The only thing we can do is hope."

"This is so exciting. We just made our first big decision as an engaged couple and we didn't even fight about it. I can't wait until we are married."

"Me either sweetheart."

"As exciting as buying a new house, it's also kind of sad. I have some really great memories here."

"We'll make new memories wherever we live and speaking of memories there is something that I had wanted to talk to you about."

"What's up?"

"What do you think about getting a dog?" A slow smile crossed Janet's face.

"Are you ready for a dog? The last time I bought you a wolf, you weren't ready for it."

"Janet no one is ever ready for a wolf." He grinned at her and she kissed him. "We are starting a new life together and I think a dog will be a great addition to our life and besides, Rocket would want me to be happy."

"You're right Rocket would want you to be happy." As the two embraced again, Janet couldn't help but think that everything was perfect and nothing could go wrong.

* * *

"Trick or Treat." Janet grinned at the three children standing on her porch. There was a princess, witch and bear. They looked so cute.

"Here you go." This year Janet tried something different. When she was shopping for candy the week before, Twinkies were on sale so she bought a bunch of boxes and she was handing them out to the trick or treaters coming to her door. So far they were a big hit.

As Janet was shutting the door, Eddie walked over and grabbed a Twinkie. In a flash he had it opened and had it in his mouth. "Stay out of the Twinkies Latekka. If you eat them all then there won't be any left for the kids." Janet chastised with a grin.

"Sorry." He mumbled with a mouthful and Janet simply shook her head.

It really didn't matter how many Twinkies Eddie ate. Nothing could put a damper on the happiness that they were feeling. Their bid was approved for what they were now referring to as their dream house. They were approved for a loan so now they were just waiting for the paperwork to go through and until that happened the two of them were packing up the house.

"You gotta little Twinkie cream on your face." Using her thumb, Janet wiped Eddie's face. Before she could remove her thumb, Eddie grabbed her wrist and placed her thumb on his lips so he could kiss it. Before they could take this tender moment any further there was a knock at the door.

"Dammit." Eddie grumbled with a smile as Janet pulled away. Walking to the door, Janet peaked out the window and saw her sister standing there with her nephews.

"The boys are here."

"Stall them." Eddie grabbed a mask he had bought especially for this moment and he snuck out the back door while Janet opened the front.

"Trick or treat Aunt Janet."

"Wow. Who are you?" Janet asked, knowing exactly who they were supposed to be.

"Mario."

"Luigi"

"Now where do I know those names from?" Janet wondered aloud.

"Super Mario Brothers." The boys answered at the same time.

"That's right. Well you two are the cutest Mario Brothers that I have ever seen." Janet saw Eddie sneaking up on the porch and she knew she had to make herself busy or she would give him away. "I have treats for you two." Janet turned away from the door and at that moment Eddie jumped up on the porch, screaming and Timmy, Charlie and Lillian all screamed and jumped in response. Janet couldn't help but laugh and Eddie was laughing hard when he took off his mask.

"Happy Halloween boys." Eddie told the group.

Fifteen minutes later Sam, Hannah and Nick were on Janet's porch when Eddie did the same thing and Sam's reaction was priceless. He screamed like a girl then flung his bag of candy at Eddie who managed to duck out of the way at the last second, causing Sam's candy to scatter across the porch and grass which in turn left Eddie and Nick picking it up.

"Are you guys going to the party at Sully's?" Hannah asked as they watched their men pick up candy on their hands and knees.

As it does every year Trick or Treating in Knights Ridge was always the Saturday before Halloween from five to seven in the evening and then most parties start at nine. Every year Sully's puts on the biggest and best Halloween party and every year Janet had always worked the party and never got to enjoy it but this year she will be enjoying the party in costume with Eddie by her side. Every year Eddie showed up to Sully's Halloween party. He wasn't dumb. He knew it was the best place to pick out a drunk girl to take home. He never showed up in costume but this year, he would be in costume thanks to his fiancé and he wasn't quite sure how he felt about that.

"Wouldn't miss it but first we promised Max that we would make an appearance at the party that the center is throwing for all of their patients. You guys are going right?"

"Sure are. Sam is staying at Doodie's so Nick and I are free. It's going to be great hanging out with you instead of hanging out while you are working. Nick and I are going as Thing 1 and Thing 2. What are you wearing?"

"It's a secret."

"I can't wait to see." Hannah looked at her best friend. "By the way, are you losing weight?" Eddie's heard turned towards Janet when he heard Hannah's comment, something Janet noticed.

"A few pounds." She said casually. The truth was in the three weeks that she had been taking the internet ordered diet pills she had lost sixteen pounds.

"You look great."

"Thanks."

"I'm ready." Sam announced once his bag was full of candy again.

"Well I guess I'm going." Hannah said with a smile.

"Have fun." As Nick, Hannah and Sam walked down the steps a few more kids took their place and after they had their Twinkies Eddie shut the door and wrapped his arms around Janet's waist.

"I heard you tell Hannah that you have lost some weight."

"Some."

"I'm sorry I didn't notice."

"Don't be sorry. You see me every day. It's hard to notice something like that when you see someone every day. It's all good."

"Well maybe if you would strip and allow me a careful examination I would really notice." His eyes were twinkling.

"You will use any excuse to see me naked won't you?"

"Absolutely cause if you're naked then sex usually follows." Eddie reached out and tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear. "You are beautiful." He whispered tenderly. Before Janet could respond more trick or treaters arrived and they had to get back to work.

* * *

"Janet, honey I think you gave me the wrong costume." Eddie was holding up what was clearly the wrong costume.

"No I didn't."

"Janet, this is a nun costume."

"It is."

"I am a guy."

"I am well aware of that."

"Nuns are women."

"The point of Halloween is that you get to be something that you are not. You are most definitely not a nun or a woman. So put the damn costume on and have fun."

Grumbling Eddie put on his costume while Janet put hers on in the bathroom. Until Janet handed Eddie his costume he had no idea what she had planned so at this point he could only assume that Janet was going as a nun as well but when she walked into their room from the bathroom, he burst out laughing. "A monk? Really?"

"Yep. A male nun and female monk. It's perfect."

"You are adorable." He told her with a grin.

"Yes I know."

"The things I do for you."

"Because you love me."

"Yes. Because I love you is the reason I am dressed like a girl."

"Let's get this night started babe."

The first stop of the evening was at Max's Halloween party. Max was thrilled that they showed up and he proudly introduced his beloved brother and "his Janet" to all of his friends. They spent an hour with Max, and all of his friends playing games and just having good clean fun. At one point both Eddie and Janet wished that life could be as innocent as these "children" saw it as being. Everything would be so much easier if that was the case but they also realized that if life was like that then they wouldn't be where they are; happy, in love and getting married.

When they arrived at Sully's the party was already in full swing. The drinks had been flying since early evening so everyone was well on their way to being blitz. The bar was packed, as it always was on Halloween so it was going to be a challenge to find their table with their friends. Halfway through the bar, they spotted Matt Lausch and his cronies. Eddie instantly stiffened next to Janet.

"Please babe, I want to have fun tonight." Janet told Eddie.

"I'm going to ignore him." He muttered and Janet was proud of him as they passed Matt and Eddie ignored all of the comments that were being made.

"Thank you." Eddie slung an arm around her shoulder.

"You know what? I want to have fun tonight too and ignoring that asshole will let me do just that."

* * *

"We need a refill." Owen moaned, picking up the empty pitcher.

"I got it." Janet grabbed the pitcher and Eddie grabbed her hand.

"Hurry back."

"I will." Before she could walk away Eddie pulled her to his chest and the two shared a very long, hot and heavy kiss.

"That's just too much." Ikey said, making gagging sounds. "A monk and nun making out. That just should not happen."

"It's kinda hot." Owen commented and the table laughed.

"Get your own monk." Eddie growled. "This monk is taken."

"I'll stick with my witch." Allison was dressed as a witch and Owen was dressed as a warlock.

"Hurry back." Eddie requested, sneaking another kiss before he let Janet go.

"I will." Janet made her way to the bar, gave Sully the empty pitcher and ordered two more. Instead of waiting at the bar she decided to use the bathroom. Telling Sully she would be right back, she left the bar for the bathroom.

Five minutes later Janet walked out of the woman's bathroom and suddenly she felt a hand, a large man's hand on her butt. Thinking it was Eddie, she smiled and turned around but her smile quickly disappeared when she saw the owner of the house was not Eddie.

"Remove your hand Matt."

"Come on Janet. I know that you aren't a one man kinda girl. We all know about you and Rooster." Matt pushed Janet against the wall and she resisted the urge to slap him across the face. "I want to see what skills you have. They must be impressive since Eddie has stuck around as long as he has." With the hand that wasn't on her ass reached up and squeezed her breast, painfully and Janet squeezed her eyes shut so Matt wouldn't see the tears that wanted to fall.

"Get the hell away from me." She pushed against him but for a drunk he was pretty secure on his feet. Instead of complying with her request he pressed his lips to her neck. "Matt this is your final warning. Leave me alone." Matt didn't seem to hear her or he ignored her. Instead he just licked the side of her face and Janet fought the urge to vomit. She lifted her knee and pushed it into his groin as hard as she could. As soon as Matt hit the floor, Janet ran into the bathroom and threw up.

After washing her face, she walked out of the bathroom and found Matt pulling himself off of the floor. "Stay the hell away from me and Eddie you sorry son of a bitch." Before walking away she kneed him again. When she got to the bar she was shaking.

"Here you go honey." Sully handed her the two pitchers of beer she ordered.

"Can you do me a favor?"

"Anything."

"Matt Lausch needs to leave."

"What happened?"

"He…" Janet wasn't sure what to say. "I came out of the bathroom and he made an unwanted advance."

"Did he hurt you?" Sully's face was red with anger.

"No. I took care of him but I think he needs to leave."

"Say no more." Sully stormed out from the behind the bar to the bathroom while Janet returned to the table.

"What took so long?" Eddie asked as she settled in beside him. Instead of answering, she just shook her head. She didn't trust herself to talk at this point. "Honey are you…what the hell is going on?" Matt was being led out of the bar by Sully and Derek, a bouncer and he was not happy about it.

"You WILL NOT treat my costumers with disrespect." Sully yelled. Eddie's eyes grew wide and he looked at Janet. "You ARE NOT welcome in my bar ever again. Do I make myself clear?" Matt was yelling but Eddie was no longer paying attention. He was watching Janet who was staring at her glass of beer.

"What the hell happened?" He whispered, thankful everyone at the table was busy talking about Matt and not really paying attention to them.

"Later. At home."

"But…" Janet grabbed his hand and squeezed it.

"I'm fine and Matt's gone so let's just enjoy the rest of our night okay?" Eddie nodded and Janet leaned forward and kissed him softly. "I love you."

"I love you too."

The two of them tried to fun but it didn't work. Eddie was consumed with thoughts of what may have happened between Matt and Janet while Janet couldn't stop thinking about what happened. Finally around midnight, they called it a night and said goodbye to their friends. Before they left, Janet stopped at the bar to thank Sully for his help.

Silently, the two of them walked to Eddie's truck holding hands. Like he always did when they got to the truck he opened the door and helped her in. "Are you sure you are okay?" He asked before he shut the door. She simply nodded. Knowing he wasn't going to get anything else out of her until they got home he shut the door and then he got in and they drove home in silence, again.

"What in the hell happened Janet?" Eddie asked the moment the front door shut.

"I know you are freaking out…"

"You are damn right I am freaking out. I am freaking the hell out."

"I need a shower."

"What?"

"Please babe, it's been a long day and I need to shower. When I am done I will tell you everything."

"Janet…"

"Please."

"Go." He sighed. Janet squeezed his hand and then disappeared into their bedroom to grab some pajamas.

She made the shower as hot as she could stand it. She felt she had to scrub the feeling of Matt's hands off of her. She could still feel his hand on her butt, his lips on her neck and his tongue…she shivered in disgust as she thought about it. After scrubbing her body raw she determined that the gross, ickiness that she was feeling was not going to go away until she talked to Eddie.

"Feel better?" Eddie asked when Janet stepped out of the bathroom.

"Not really." She settled on the couch next to him. He immediately wrapped and arm around her and pulled her close. "Now I feel better. Being with you always makes me feel better."

"What happened?"

"I was coming out of the bathroom and Matt was there but I didn't know it until he grabbed my ass."

"He grabbed your ass?" Anger began to build up inside of Eddie.

"He pushed me up against the wall. He told me that he wants to see what skills that I have because I must have some since you are still around."

"Asshole."

"He licked my face and he…"

"What the hell else did he do?"

"He grabbed my boob." Eddie jerked up but Janet was prepared for that and she managed to hold him down.

"I'm going to kill that son of a bitch."

"I took care of it."

"How?"

"I kicked him in his crotch twice as hard as I could. He won't be walking upright for quite a while."

"I'm glad you kicked him in the jewels but I still want to kill him for putting his hands on you."

"But you won't."

"I won't because I love you too much to spend the rest of my life in prison."

"Thank you because our wedding won't be the same without you there."

"I want you to file a restraining order against him."

"Is that really necessary?"

"I think it is. For some unknown reason, Matt has it out for me and I don't trust him. I'm afraid that he will hurt you to get at me. I would feel better if you would get a restraining order. Will you do that for me?"

"I will." Eddie leaned forward and kissed her softly.

"Are you okay?" He whispered softly. "Are you really okay?" Janet bit her lip and shook her head. "What Janet? What else?" Eddie looked panicked.

"It's not that bad."

"Then tell me."

"He told me that he knows that I am not a one man kind of girl. He knows that because of what happened with Rooster." She told him as she began to cry. "How could he know what happened?"

"Rooster was probably running his mouth." That did not make Janet feel any better.

"If Matt knows then who else knows? God, probably half of the damn town knows that I cheated on you. They all know that I broke your heart. They all know…"

"Relax sweetheart."

"No Eddie I can't relax. It's bad enough that only a few people know what I did to you but now if everyone knows the whole damn town probably thinks I'm a whore and I can't handle that. You don't deserve that."

"I don't care what other people think babe. Let them think what they want. Nobody but you and I know what and why that situation occurred. We worked through it and that's all that matters."

"So you are okay with every one thinking that you fiancé is a whore?"

"Of course not and if anyone ever says something like that to me, I will set them straight but hon, you don't know that everyone knows what happened. No one else has ever said anything to you so I think that it is safe to assume that not many people know and those that do know are smart enough to keep their mouths shut."

"I'm sorry Eddie." She cried. "I thought it was over but it's never going to be over is it?"

"It is as far as I am concerned." He wiped her tears away. "Forget about Matt. Forget about Rooster Hell; forget about everyone in this town. Just think about me."

"I think I can manage that." She gave him a small smile.

"That's my girl. I love you Janet."

"Why?"

"So many reasons." He pressed his lips to her neck. "So many reasons." He mumbled.

"Eddie I can't go to bed tonight knowing that Matt's hands were the last hands that touched my breast and butt. I want your hands to be the last hands that touched me."

"I think I can take care of that." He stood up, took her hand and the two of them walked into the bedroom so he could make her forget Matt's hands on her with his own hands, lips and body. 0.


	26. Chapter 26

As she promised Eddie, Janet went to the police department to file a restraining order against Matt Lausch but she was told that she couldn't get it. The officer was very sympathetic to her but he told her that since Matt didn't threaten or physically attack or rape her she had no grounds for a restraining order. Eddie was furious. He wouldn't put it past Lausch to lay a hand on Janet and if that would happen he would lose his mind on Matt's face and ribs. He might just kill him.

Eddie calmed down only when Janet told him about a self defense class that was offered by the police force and taught by a cop. The cop told her and she agreed that if Matt decided to come after her a piece of paper telling him that he couldn't would not stop him. By taking a class in self defense, if Matt decided to come after her she would be able to defend herself against his attack. Knowing that Janet would be able to defend herself made Eddie breathe a little easier but he would not rest until he knew his girl was safe plus she figured that the added activity would help her lose even more weight so it is a win-win situation.

"All right. That's a wrap." Jeremy, the self defense instructor called to his class. "Great job. I will see you all next week.

"Janet are you okay?" Hannah asked her friend. Even though Hannah is pregnant she was taking the class with Janet.

"I…I'm not sure." Janet was pale and shaking.

"What's wrong?"

"My…my…heart. It's…"

"What?" Hannah was beginning to panic and by this time Jeremy had noticed that one of his students wasn't doing so well and he joined the girls.

"Is everything okay?"

"No. Something is wrong. She said something about her heart."

"Hannah go out to the desk right outside the door and ask them to get an ambulance here." Jeremy instructed.

"No. No ambulance." Janet gasped but Hannah was already gone.

"What is wrong Janet?"

"My heart. It's beating so fast. It feels like it is going to beat out of my chest." Jeremy placed two fingers on Janet's wrist.

"I'm checking your pulse."

"I am sure that I will be fine in a few minutes." Jeremy was silent while he counted Janet's heart.

"I don't think so. Your pulse is 162. Has this ever happened before?" Janet shook her head. "Do you have heart problems?"

"No. Never."

"Janet I need you to try and relax."

"What is happening?" She whispered but no one had an answer for her.

The ambulance arrived minutes later and until that point Janet wasn't too scared but as soon as she saw the paramedics she began to cry. She was quickly loaded onto the stretcher.

"Eddie. Please call him." Janet begged Hannah.

"I will." Hannah kissed Janet's cheek as she was wheeled past her. "I'll be right behind you." With a shaking hand she dialed Eddie's phone.

* * *

"That's weird. Hannah is calling me." Eddie told Nick.

"Maybe Janet's phone is dead and she is using Hannah's phone."

"You're right. Hannah would never willingly call me." With a grin Eddie answered his phone. "Yo."

"Eddie…" He could tell by the shaking in her voice that something was wrong and the only thing he could think of was Matt. "Janet…"

"Is she all right? "Nick looked at Eddie with concern on his face. The two of them had been hanging out while their girls were taking their self defense class.

"Her heart. Something is wrong with her heart." Eddie turned pale.

"What?" He whispered. "What is wrong with her heart?"

"I don't know. The paramedics came and they are taking her to the hospital." Eddie could tell that Hannah was scared.

"I'm on my way." Eddie was standing, grabbing his keys and ending the call at the same time.

"I'll come with." Nick offered.

"Thanks. I may need you to drive." Eddie's entire body was shaking with fear and he knew he wouldn't be able to drive.

"No problem. We'll take your truck so that way you can have your truck to get you two go home and I'll have Hannah bring me back here to my car." Eddie nodded and followed Nick outside to his truck.

The drive to the hospital seemed to take forever. Nick caught every red light and the speed limit through the main part of town was only twenty five. With every passing minute that Eddie was not by Janet's side, he got more worried and by the time they arrived at the hospital he was thinking the worst. Nick pulled in the front of the hospital and Eddie jumped out and rushed inside to the desk.

"My fiancé was just brought in by the paramedics. Janet Meadows. I need to get back to see her." The woman in front of him checked her list of patients back in the emergency room.

"Adam can you take him to cubicle 4 please?" The clerk asked the security guard stationed next to her desk.

"Follow me sir." Eddie mumbled thank you and followed the security guard to cubicle 4. "Right here."

"Thanks." Without announcing his presence, he pulled the curtain back and stepped into the small space that was occupied by a bed where Janet was lying, a chair where Hannah was sitting holding Janet's hand and a nurse.

"Excuse me but you just can't…"

"Eddie." Janet had calmed herself down but seeing Eddie made her cry again. In two steps Eddie was seated on the side of the bed holding a sobbing Janet in his arms.

"Shhhh baby. I'm here."

"I'm so scared." She blubbered and Eddie rubbed her back in soothing circles until she calmed herself down.

"Ms. Meadows, you need to lie back down so I can complete the EKG." Eddie helped Janet lie back down.

"I'll be in the waiting room." Hannah told them softly.

"Nick is probably out there too. He had to drive me over. Thanks for staying with her until I got here."

"No problem. Will you keep me updated? "

"Yeah and thanks." Hannah nodded and slipped out of the cubicle and Eddie moved from the bed to the chair vacated by Hannah, right next to the bed where he could hold her hand. "What are you doing to her?" He asked the nurse who had Janet's gown opened and was sticking wires to her. It looked serious and he was terrified but he was trying not to show it. He was trying to be brave for his girl.

"We are running an EKG which will tell us if her heart is working correctly."

"Will all of those wires will it hurt her?"

"No. She won't feel a thing."

"Have you seen a doctor yet?"

"Yeah. He was waiting for the ambulance when I got here. He just left seconds before you got here."

"Okay, Ms. Meadows you have to lay perfectly still and not talk for about thirty seconds for me." Janet nodded. "Here we go." Silent tears rolled down Janet's face as the EKG was done. "Very good. Now I am going to unhook you and draw some blood."

"Janet what happened?" He asked softly and she began to cry harder.

"After my class my heart started racing. It's going so fast that it feels like it is going to come out of my chest."

"How is her test?" Eddie asked the nurse as she drew blood.

"I don't read them. I will give them to the doctor and he will let you know. Ms. Meadows you need to calm down. I know that you are scared but crying isn't doing your heart any good." Janet nodded and did the best she could to calm down. "All done here. I will take the EKG to the doctor and he will let you know the results."

"Thank you." Eddie said.

"I am so glad you are here." Janet sobbed. Eddie knew the only way to calm her down was to hold her so he climbed in the small bed next to her and wrapped her in his arms.

"Babe, you have to calm down."

"I'm so scared. What if I am dying?"

"You're not dying Janet." He said with more confidence than he felt. The fact that it was her heart scared him more than anything.

"You don't know that."

"You're in the best place that you can be and you'll get all fixed up." Janet didn't respond. She just laid her head on Eddie's chest and cried softly.

Soon after the EKG was done Janet was given medication to slow her heart rate down and once that happened some of the fear both Janet and Eddie was feeling somewhat dissipated but the fear of the unknown, not knowing what caused it still scared them. Once her heart slowed down some, she was taken for an ultrasound of her heart during which time Eddie paced inside Janet's cubicle.

* * *

Two hours after Eddie arrived the doctor returned to Janet's cubicle with her test results. He found the couple on the bed together, Eddie holding Janet while the two talked softly. "Janet how are you feeling?" Eddie pulled his arms away from Janet so they could sit up but he continued to hold her hand.

"Better. My heart doesn't feel like it beating as fast." The doctor checked the monitor.

"Your pulse is at 112 right now which is a lot better than it was when you came in but I want it lower so I will be giving you more medication."

"Is her heart okay?" Eddie asked the question that had been weighing on both of their minds.

"According to the EKG, blood work and ultrasound, Janet your heart is perfectly fine."

"Then what is wrong with her?"

"I am 99% certain that your heart rate elevated as a result of the diet pills that you were taking." Eddie relaxed his grip on Janet's hand and turned his head to stare at her. "I have seen other patients who were on the same type of pills who had the same reaction as you are having or had. You said the last time you took a pill was this morning right?" Janet nodded. "By tomorrow morning it should be out of your system and you should be back to normal."

"So she is going to be okay?"

"Yes. She should be fine but just to be safe I want to rule out other causes so I am going to admit you overnight. You will be hooked up to a heart monitor throughout the night and since you said this happened after your self defense class I want you to have a stress test."

"What's that?" Janet finally asked.

"What happens is you are put on a treadmill to naturally elevate your heart rate and we will see if elevates to a normal level."

"And if it goes up again?" She whispered.

"Then we will figure out what is causing it."

"But when she stops taking those damn pills, she will be fine if it's the pills that caused it?" Eddie left no room for doubt that Janet would not be continuing to take those pills.

"That is correct. Now on to the weight loss. Janet how much weight have you lost?"

"Nineteen and a half pounds." She admitted softly, looking at her lap.

"How long did it take you to lose that weight?"

"It's been about three and a half weeks." Eddie pursed his lips together to keep from saying anything.

"Janet that is not a healthy way to lose weight. That is too much weight to lose in such a short amount of time. Really, you should only lose a pound or two a week. Now if you want to continue to lose weight there are healthier ways to go about doing it and I can refer you to a dietician but no more pills. Do I make myself clear?" She nodded tearfully. "Do either of you have any questions?" They both shook their heads. "Okay you will be moved up to a room soon and if you don't have any more problems, then I will see you tomorrow."

"Thank you." Eddie stood and shook the doctor's hand and they watched the doctor disappear.

"Eddie?" Janet whispered when they were alone.

"No." He answered. His back was towards her and he didn't even turn to face her.

"Please." She cried.

"No. Not here." He was relieved that she was going to be fine but at the same time he was furious with her for taking the pills to begin with and he did not want to get into it in the hospital, in front of other people. "I need to go update Nick and Hannah who have been in the waiting room." He walked out without a backward glance with her sobs burning in his ears.

Both Nick and Hannah were relieved when Eddie told then that Janet was going to be fine, feigning ignorance in regards to the medical terms. He didn't want to tell them what really happened. If Janet wanted to tell them then that was her call. Hannah went back to see Janet while Eddie hung out in the waiting room with Nick. Hannah only returned because they were getting ready to move Janet to a room and at that point Eddie returned to Janet.

"I'm heading home." Eddie told Janet once she was settled into her semi-private room.

"Please, don't go." Janet begged tearfully. Eddie had hardly spoken to her since the doctor let her secret out.

"Janet, it's after ten and I'm tired."

"Please don't go mad." She was right. He sighed, sat in the chair next to her bed and took her hand.

"Shhh. Don't cry." He whispered softly. He didn't want her roommate hearing all of their business.

"I'm sorry." She gasped through her tears.

"You're right Janet I am mad but now is not the time or place to talk about it."

"But…" Eddie wouldn't let her finish her thought.

"Right now the only thing that matters is that you are better and you are going to be fine. I know that it is going to drive you nuts but we cannot talk about this here at the hospital. It's going to have to wait until you get home tomorrow." He sat forward on the chair, wiped her tears and kissed her softly. "I may be mad as hell at you but I still love you. Do you understand me?"

"Yeah I do. I love you too." Eddie stood.

"I'll be back first thing in the morning."

"Will you stay with me until I fall asleep?"

"Yeah. I'll stay." He kissed her again and returned to the chair. "Try and get some sleep."

"I'm sorry." She mumbled sleepily.

"I know you are." `

* * *

When Eddie returned to the hospital the next morning he came with a bag of clean clothes for Janet along with her bathing necessities and coffee. He knew she would want to shower and have clean clothes to wear home. When he got to her room he found it empty and after inquiring with the nurse he found out that she was having her stress test done and would return momentarily so he did the only thing he could. He sat and waited and thirty minutes after he arrived Janet was getting wheeled back into the room. Eddie was immediately on his feet helping her back into bed.

"Morning." She whispered, slowly, not sure how angry he still was.

"Morning. How did you sleep?" His voice was lacking the normal affection it had when he spoke to her so she knew, he was still mad.

"Like crap. The nurses kept waking me up all night checking machines and my blood pressure." Sure that was part of the reason why she didn't sleep but the main reason that she didn't sleep was because Eddie was angry with her. "How about you?"

"Crappy." He couldn't sleep because he was pissed off at Janet and he was alone. He hated sleeping without her by his side. "How was your test?"

"Fine I guess. My heart rate elevated but it didn't get crazy high." Eddie nodded and then noticed his uneaten breakfast tray and his anger that he buried rose to the surface.

"Why didn't you eat your breakfast? Since you can't take those damn pills anymore are you going to starve yourself?" He snapped before he could stop himself and Janet's eyes filled with tears.

"No. For your information this tray wasn't here when I went for my stress test." She angrily wiped her tears and to prove her point she began to eat her cold breakfast which was disgusting.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it."

"Yes you did." Eddie himself was not a fan of hospital food and he could tell that Janet wasn't enjoying it either. He handed her the coffee he brought her.

"Maybe this will help it go down easier."

"Thanks." She mumbled taking the cup from him and she finished her breakfast in silence.

"I brought you some clean clothes, your sponge thing, shampoo and conditioner." Eddie placed the bag on the bed. Janet was surprised. Even though Eddie was furious with her he still thought to bring her some stuff from home.

"Thank you. As soon as they unhook this monitor I can shower and then hopefully get out of here."

"How are you feeling?"

"Fine. I haven't been given any more medication and my heart rate has stayed down. I guess that it was the pills." Eddie nodded but didn't say anything. He grabbed the remote and turned on the television. Apparently, there wasn't going to be anymore conversation for awhile and honestly Janet was okay with that. She knew Eddie was pissed as hell at her and she deserved it. The silent treatment was the least that she deserved.

Janet was released home early in the afternoon with a clean bill of health. She was told to check her pulse on a regular basis and if it went over a hundred without any physical activity then she was to contact his office immediately. The drive home was tense and silent. Janet stared out the passenger window while Eddie stared straight ahead at the road in front of him. Janet felt like a little girl waiting for her dad to come home and dish out her punishment.

"Where are they?" Eddie asked as soon as the front door shut. He was wasting no time "discussing" Janet's dieting habits. He was going nuts by keeping it in but he knew this conversation was one that should be held in the privacy of their own home.

"My purse." She whispered. She knew exactly what he was talking about. Eddie walked over and held out his hand.

"May I?" He refused to get into her purse at any time without her permission. Janet handed him her purse. Eddie pulled the pills out of her purse, set them on the table and handed it back. "Are there any more?" She bit her lip and nodded. "Where?"

"In the glove box in my jeep." Shaking his head he grabbed her keys and stormed outside. Crying, Janet sat on a chair and when Eddie returned he slammed the door behind him. He placed the pills from her jeep on the table with the ones from her purse. He grabbed the phone back and slammed it on the table on top of the pills three times so hard that Janet jumped all three times.

"What in the hell were you thinking Janet?" He shouted.

"I…I…" Eddie was so furious he wouldn't let her talk.

"You could have killed yourself. What in the hell were you thinking?" She didn't answer. She just cried. "Well?"

"I wanted to lose weight."

"With pills? I got the name of the pills from the nurse and I came home and did some research on the internet. If you would have taken them for much longer, they could have killed you. Did you do any research before you started popping them?"

"No." He could barely hear her. Sighing he sat down across from her.

"God, I am so mad at you that I can't see straight."

"I know."

"No Janet I don't think you do. When Hannah told me something was wrong with your heart I was so scared that you were going to die. When the doctor told me that you were going to be fine I wanted to cry. I was so relieved but then when he told us that you did this to yourself… it took everything I had not to walk out of that room." Janet placed her head in her hands and sobbed softly. "Why Janet? I just need to know why you would risk your life just to lose weight."

"It's not about just losing weight." Now Janet was shouting.

"Then what is it about?" Eddie shouted back. If she was going to shout then so was he.

"You wouldn't understand. Have you looked in the mirror? You. Are. Perfect. I am so not perfect and you deserve someone just as perfect as you so I was trying to be perfect for you." Eddie shook his head as Janet stormed away from the table.

"Dammit Janet." He groaned, following her into their bedroom where she had thrown herself on the bed sobbing. He crawled in beside her but made no move to comfort her. He was still too mad for that. "Matt's comment at the wedding started all of this didn't it?" He wasn't an idiot. Last night as he ran the past few weeks through his mind and it wasn't hard to pin it back to Matt's pizza comment.

"No." She cried into the pillow and then rolled over and looked at the ceiling through her tears. "Yes." She admitted softly.

"Why do you let him get to you?"

"Because if he thinks it then everybody else thinks it."

"That's not true Janet."

"Yes it is. He called me a supreme pizza or fat." Eddie knew what he wanted to say but he wasn't sure how to say it without hurting her.

"Janet you are not fat. Sure, you may not be stick figure thin but did you ever think that maybe if you were like every other woman in this town then our relationship would have been like every other one night stand that I had?"

"No. All I could think of was how I will look standing next to you at the altar."

"You will look absolutely beautiful. No bride will ever be more beautiful than you."

"The thin guy standing next to the fat chick. That's all that people will see."

"Who cares what they see? It only matters what you and I see when we look at each other."

"I don't want you to look at me and see a fat bride in white. I don't want you to see regret."

"God Janet, are you doing this extreme dieting for me, because you think that I want you to be thin?"

"I want you to be proud of me." Eddie had calmed down but he suddenly became furious again.

"That is bullshit Janet." He shouted. He got out of bed. "Don't you know me at all?"

"Yes Eddie I do know you. I know that all you dated was skinny women." She screamed back, getting on her feet.

"In the past Janet. Don't you know that when I look at you I don't see your weight? I just see you; the woman I love." Janet suddenly felt defeated. "Let me ask you something. If I lost fifty pounds would you love me more? "She shook her head. "What if I gained one hundred pounds before our wedding? Would you change your mind about marrying me?"

"Of course not."

"So why the double standards? Did you really think that I would love you more if you were thinner?"

"I…I…don't know." Janet set heavily on the bed. "I just don't know." Looking at her, sitting on the bed miserable e and lost, Eddie's anger disappeared. He sat beside her, wrapped an arm around her and Janet leaned into him.

"Janet, sweetheart." Eddie whispered.

"After Matt called me fat I couldn't stop thinking about our wedding. I couldn't stop imagining what people would say about me standing next to you. "He is actually marrying her? Look at that fat ass next to him" so I wanted to avoid all that so I decided to lose weight so neither of us would have to hear it."

"Babe, it doesn't matter what anyone else says. The only people that we are inviting to our wedding are our friends and family and none of them would ever say anything like that."

"I…I…just want you to be proud of me. I just want you to proud standing next to me."

"Janet I am and will be so proud to be standing next to you whether you weight fifty or five hundred pounds. I love you and your weight has nothing to do with how I feel about you."

"I know that. I always have. I just let my negative thoughts take over." Eddie lifted her tear stained face towards his own and smiled tenderly.

"I love you Janet. I love you so, so much and I mean what I say when I tell you whatever your weight is, more or less will never change that." He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers.

"I love you too." She whispered softly when they broke apart.

"Look if you want to lose weight I will support you. We will cut out junk food, limit our beer. We can walk around the neighborhood together; whatever you need for me I will be there for you."

"Really?"

"Really."

"That means…Thank you."

"As long as it isn't diet pills."

"Never again."

"Why Janet? Why the diet pills?"

"I needed to lose weight fast so I could be thin by our wedding."

"Do you realize how incredibly stupid that was?"

"I do and Eddie, I am so sorry."

"Just talk to me when you start having insecurities like that and if you do want to lose weight don't keep it a secret from me. We are a couple. There should be no secrets."

"I promise."

"Now I am sorry for yelling and screaming at you. I have acted like a jerk since we got home. "

"I don't accept your apology." Eddie's jaw dropped. "Because you don't owe me one. I deserved everything you gave me and probably more. I was stupid and risked my life. I scared the crap out of you. You don't owe me anything. I am the one who is sorry."

"I love you my sweet girl."

"I know and through all of my dieting I never doubted that." Janet linked her hand with his. "I never doubted how you felt." She whispered as she brought her lips up to Eddie's.


	27. Chapter 27

"Are you ready Janet?" Hannah asked.

"I just need another minute."

"Sure. I'll be waiting in the car."

"Thanks." Today was moving day. As excited as she was it was nostalgic. Janet had lived most of her adult life in her little one bedroom house and it was full of memories. Some bad but mostly good memories and Janet was finding it hard to walk away from all of the memories. Every place she looked in this house she was overcome with a memory and most of those memories revolved around Eddie. She knew that they were going to make new memories in their new home but it was still hard to say goodbye. With last look around she whispered "Goodbye house. Thank you." She grabbed the vacuum cleaner and shut the door one last time.

Eddie and Janet rented a moving truck and their friends and families all came over top help. Everyone loaded the truck with all of their belongings from their house. Once the truck was loaded the guys took off to Eddie's storage area to get the rest of Eddie's stuff that wouldn't fit in Janet's house and when that was finished they went to the new house to unload.

While Eddie did the un-loading Janet stayed behind with Hannah, Lillian, her mom and Eddie's mom to clean the house. It's not that the house was dirty but Janet couldn't leave behind the house without moping, cleaning the walls, and vacuuming. Just like Janet couldn't leave behind a dirty she couldn't move into a house that she couldn't guarantee was clean so the night before after she and Eddie had finished packing everything they went over to their new home and cleaned. Janet vacuumed and washed down the walls while Eddie shampooed the carpet. Before leaving the two of them scrubbed out the hot tub and filled it with water so it would be ready for them when they moved in the next day.

"Wow I can't believe that they already have the truck unloaded." Janet commented pulling up to her new home.

"When motivated they can work miracles."

"Right because we both know how motivating beer and pizza can be for these morons."

"One of those morons is your husband." Janet reminded her friend as they got out of the car.

"That's true but you are marrying the main moron."

"Yes I am." A huge smile crossed Janet's face at the thought of marrying Eddie.

The two of them walked into the house and found Mitch, Patrick, Ikey in the dining room, on the floor putting together a dining room table that they did not own. When he saw his daughter, Patrick looked up and grinned at her. "Hey Angel."

"What is this?"

"A dining room table."

"I can see that. What is it doing here?"

"You should go ask your fiancé." Mitch told her.

"Where is he?"

"In your bedroom." Confused, Janet went to her new bedroom where she found Nick, Owen and Eddie on the floor putting together a bed that also did not belong to them.

"What is going on?"

"Hey honey." Eddie pulled himself off of the floor and went and kissed Janet. "I've missed you." He whispered.

"Where did this bed and the dining room table come from?"

"Our new king sized bed is a house warming gift from my parents and Max and the dining room table is a housewarming gift from your parents."

"What would make them buy us such extravagant gifts?"

"They love us."

"We can't accept them." Janet turned to return to living room but Eddie easily stopped her.

"Whoa there girl. We can and will accept them."

"Why a bed? We have a bed. We have two beds."

"I mentioned to mom and dad that after the wedding that I want to look in to getting a bigger bed."

"Our bed is plenty big enough."

"Could be bigger." He winked at her.

"And the table? Did you happen to mention that we needed a bigger table too?"

"No but anyone can see that the table you have is way too small and we talked about getting a dining room table." The only thing that the couple splurged on for their new home, their own housewarming gift to themselves was a new couch and loveseat.

"I can't believe that they did this." Janet kissed her man quickly and returned to the living room where she thanked her parents and Eddie's parents for their wonderful gifts.

"Janet you have to come and see my room." Max came running up to her, grabbed her hand and drug her back to one of the bedrooms. When they told Max that they had bought a house they told him that he would have his own bedroom when he stayed the night and he was thrilled.

"Wow Max. It looks good." Prior to moving in Max had bugged and bugged them about putting up posters in his new room and Janet relented and agreed. That decision led Janet to where she was right then, staring at the walls in Max's bedroom that were now covered with baseball posters.

"Thank you. I have been working on it all day."

"I can tell. It looks really good."

"Thanks Janet." A compliment from Janet meant everything to Max.

"PIZZA'S HERE." They heard Eddie yell and Max blew past Janet to get his share of the food. Smiling and shaking her head Janet followed after him.

A few hours later everyone who had come to help was leaving. Janet and Eddie thanked them all over and over again because they wouldn't have gotten moved without their help and they were so grateful to them.

"Come on Max. Let's go." Judee ordered her youngest son who had planted his butt on the new couch.

"I'm staying the night and sleeping in my new room." Max informed them. Eddie sent his mother a desperate look because he knew that Janet wouldn't hesitate to say no to Max. She really couldn't say no to him and even though Eddie loved his brother he did not want to spend the first night in his new home with his brother hanging around.

"No you're not." Judee told him.

"But Eddie and Janet told me that I can stay the night any time that I want to."

"I'm sure they meant it but not tonight." Mitch told him.

"Eddie, Janet can I please stay the night?"

"No Max you cannot." Judee said. "It's Eddie and Janet's first night in their new home and they have a lot of unpacking to do."

"I can help."

"Not tonight son. Eddie and Janet are going to spend tonight alone enjoying their new home." Mitch said in a voice that made Max not question his father. He slowly stood up.

"Hug your brother and Janet goodbye." Judee demanded and Max went and hugged Janet.

"If you stay the night tonight it won't be any fun cause all Eddie and I are going to do is work. You can stay next week. By then everything will be unpacked and we will have fun okay?" Max nodded but still looked miserable. "I love you Max." Max just walked away without responding and over to his brother.

"Janet told you that she loved you. Don't you have something that you need to say to her?" Eddie saw that Janet looked heartbroken that Max didn't respond and he wasn't going to let that pass by.

"I love you Janet." He said unconvincingly.

"Don't be a jerk Max. You can stay next week."

"Whatever." Max mumbled.

"Keep it up young man and you will not come over next week or any other week." Judee snapped. She was embarrassed that her child was acting like such a brat.

"I'm sorry." He said and he actually sounded like he meant it.

"Janet and I love having you here but there are times that we just need to be alone and if you are going to act like a brat every time that we tell you that you can't stay the night then we aren't going to let you come over anymore. Do you understand?" Eddie hated being so stern with Max but sometimes it had to be done.

"I understand."

Mitch and Judee hugged Eddie and Janet good and along with those hugs came whispered apologies for Max's behavior. Eddie and Janet said that they understood but Judee, Mitch and Eddie all knew that Janet was going to take it personally.

"Finally. Alone." Eddie breathed as soon as his parent's car pulled out of the driveway.

"Yeah." Janet surveyed the living room filled with boxes. "We've got a lot of work to do." Eddie walked up behind her and placed his arms around her back and rested his head on top of hers.

"Max will be fine." He whispered.

"Maybe we should have let him stay."

"No we shouldn't have. This is our first night in our new home and we deserve to be alone."

"But he was so excited about sleeping in his room."

"And he will be just as excited about it next week." Janet didn't respond. "Babe, I know my brother and by the time tomorrow morning comes around, he will be fine and in love with you again." He turned her around so he could look at her. Tears were shining in her eyes.

"We did the right thing?"

"We did."

"And he won't hate me?"

"No sweetheart. He won't hate you." One of the many reasons Eddie loved her was her utter devotion to his brother.

"Promise?"

"I promise you." Eddie leaned down and kissed her softly. "Now you mentioned that we have a lot of work to do."

"We do. We need to get this place unpacked and livable."

"Yeah that can wait until tomorrow but you are right. We do have a lot of work to do. We have a hot tub to check out and a new bed and couch to christen."

"What about the dining room table?" Janet joked.

"That too."

"I was kidding."

"I'm not. We have to make sure that we put it together right."

"I am not having sex on the dining room table."

"We'll see about that." He gave her a wink.

"But Eddie we've got so much to do."

"Tomorrow sweetheart. I promise that we will get up early and work all day until we have this house exactly as you want it."

"It's our house. It should exactly how we want it."

"Babe, you know I don't care where anything goes. Did you see my house when I lived with Phil?" Janet grinned. The clutter at Gleason used to drive her insane but it was his house and she kept her mouth shut. "I would be fine with keeping these boxes just like this."

"I don't think so."

"Look, I know that it is going to drive you crazy to leave it like this but can you leave it like this just for tonight…for me?" He gave her a toothless grin which she was powerless to resist.

"For you but just for tonight."

"Great. Now go put on your bathing suit and let's get in the hot tub."

"I have no idea where my suit is. Maybe we should save the hot tub until tomorrow."

"You're suit is on the bed, I made sure that I found it." Janet grinned.

"I have no more excuses."

"No you don't." He swatted her butt. "No go change and I'll get everything ready."

"What is there to get ready?"

"Go." With a giggle Janet went to their new bedroom where her bathing suit was lying on the bed next to Eddie's swim trunks. Before changing Janet took a minute to admire her knew bedroom. Finally, they had a room where both of their dressers could fit and they no longer had to squeeze all of their clothes into two and a half drawers each and the closet was huge. They now were now the proud owners of a walk-in closet. No longer were they squeezing all of their clothes into a tiny closet. Along with the bed her future in-laws bought a new set of sheets and comforter. It was cream colored with pastel flowers. It was big and bulky and looked very comfy and cozy. She sat on the bed and ran her hand over the comforter.

"Why are you still dressed?" Janet jumped at the sound of Eddie's voice.

"I was just admiring our new bed décor."

"Get your suit on before I do it for you."

"I would love to see you try Latekka." Eddie lunged towards Janet. She squealed and avoided him at the last minute. "All right. All right. I'll do it."

Grinning triumphantly Eddie tossed Janet her suit and the two of them changed. Once he was in his trunks Eddie rummaged through some boxes until he found them some towels and then they went through their new house to the back patio. "Holy crap. It's cold." Janet gasped when Eddie slid the patio door open.

"It's November Janet. Did you think it was going to be ninety?"

"No but its cold out."

"Quit whining. Once you are in the hot tub you won't even realize that it's cold out."

"But I'm going to have to get out eventually."

"Then I will just have to warm you up." Eddie grabbed her hand and pulled her outside and into the hot tub.

"Hmmm. Wow. This is nice." Janet breathed as she snuck beneath the hot bubbling water.

"Told you." Eddie told her and Janet stuck her tongue out at him. "Come over here." Not giving her a choice Eddie pulled her over next to him. "I can't believe that we actually own a hot tub. This is so cool." He was wearing an adorable grin that Janet loved. He looked so childlike. Before Janet could get comfortable next to Eddie he leaned over the hot tub and returned with a plate of chocolate covered strawberries.

"Hmm. My favorite." Eddie grinned and then set them on the ledge. He leaned over again and this time Janet pinched his butt.

"Ow." He shot straight up and this time he had two champagne flutes and a bottle of champagne in his hand. "What in the hell was that?"

"I couldn't resist. It was just there next to me begging to be pinched."

"You will pay for that."

"I'm counting on it." Eddie settled back into the hot tub and handed Janet the glasses. "You know that champagne goes right through me."

"Yes I do know that." Eddie popped the cork and they laughed as it shot across the porch. "That's the plan. I am going to get you drunk so I can take advantage of you." Eddie handed Janet the glasses so he could fill them with champagne.

"You don't have to get me drunk to take advantage of me."

"Don

"Don't I know it?" Eddie took one of the glasses from Janet. "How about a toast?" She nodded. "To us. To our new home." They clinked glasses and emptied the champagne from their glasses and Eddie quickly refilled them.

"To the beginning of the next stage of our life together. To making new, wonderful memories." The two repeated what they did after Eddie's toast with the only difference being they ended this toast with a long, slow, sensual kiss.

"Refill?"

"You know it and how about a strawberry."

"Whatever my lady wants, my lady gets." Eddie refilled their glasses and then got a strawberry. When he turned to give Janet a strawberry he found her with her mouth open and eyes closed. With a grin he set the glasses down, ripped the green leafy things on top of the strawberry off and placed it in his mouth. Leaning forward he placed the chocolate end in her mouth. Janet felt his breath on her check and she knew what his plan was. It only took Janet two bites before there was no strawberry left and Eddie's lips were moving against hers.

"Now, that's the way to eat a chocolate covered strawberry." Janet grabbed a strawberry. "Now it's your turn."

The two took turns feeding each other the strawberries until they were gone and they were simply making out in the hot tub. Once they finally managed to pull away from each other, Janet settled herself in the crook of Eddie's arm and the two of them drank their champagne and talked of their future together.

"I've been thinking babe." Janet told him as he nuzzled her neck. "About our wedding."

"Hmmmm?"

"I don't want to do it." Eddie shot straight up with a look of terror across his handsome face,

"What in the hell are you talking about?"

"Oh baby, I'm sorry. That came out all wrong." Janet smiled but Eddie did not. "It must be the champagne. I do want to get married." Eddie visibly relaxed. "I just don't want to get married in a big church ceremony like we have planned." He leaned back against the tub and took Janet with him.

"Why? Does it have something to do with your weight? You're not taking the pills again are you?"

"No Eddie I am not taking the diet pills. I promised you that I wasn't going to start taking those pills again." Janet wasn't mad that he asked her that. She didn't blame him for asking. "Maybe it has to do a little with the lingering thoughts about my weight but it's not the foundation for this."

"Do you want to go to City Hall?" Eddie would do most anything for Janet but going to City Hall to say their vows was not one of them. He wanted all of their friends and family to witness their vows. Before Janet came into his life he never thought about getting married or even his own wedding ceremony but now, that he had Janet he wanted a wedding. He wanted to stand with Janet and promise her that he was going to love her forever in front of the whole town.

"No. Of course not." Janet turned to look at her fiancé. He looked devastated. "If you want a big ceremony then that's what we will have." She hated to see him looking so sad.

"Let's talk about it. Why don't you want a traditional church ceremony?"

"It's driving me crazy. What color bridesmaids dresses? How many bridesmaids? Who will stand next to who? Will they walk down the aisle with the groomsman or by themselves or maybe the bridesmaids will walk halfway down on their own and the meet the groomsman to finish the walk? Choosing the pew decorations; choosing the flowers; how many candles should be next to the unity candle; what kind of unity candle? Do you have any idea how many different types of unity candles there are to choose from?" Eddie smiled and shook his head. "Do I or don't I want a piece of plastic put down to walk over when I walk down the aisle and if I want it then what color do I want it to be? Who cares? It's a piece of freakin' plastic. What song to I want to walk down the aisle to? What song do I want played during the ceremony and where at in the ceremony should it be played? All of that is driving me crazy."

"Isn't that normal bride frustrations?"

"Maybe but how should I know? I've never been a bride before." Eddie laughed.

"True that."

"Maybe it is normal frustration for a bride but the whole point is that I don't care about none of that. I thought about just letting mom and Lil plan it all but then I knew it would be over the top and nothing that I want."

"What do you want sweetheart?"

"You. Simply me and you saying our vows in front of our families and close friends without all of the craziness."

"You have an idea don't you?" She nodded and Eddie knew she was excited. "Well how about sharing with the group?"

"What do you think about a beach wedding?" Eddie thought about it. He imagined saying his vows to Janet with the ocean as the backdrop and he realized that a beach wedding was exactly what he wanted.

"I love it." Janet's blue eyes were shining with happiness.

"Really?"

"Absolutely. We should have thought about this from the get go."

"Here is what I am thinking. I have been online and I found a place in Connecticut which is only a few hours from here. There is a gorgeous hotel with oceanfront rooms that offer wedding packages. They have a private beach for wedding ceremonies. They provide a justice of the peace to perform the ceremony and a photographer if we would want and then after we get a mini-reception or dinner at the restaurant."

"Sounds perfect." Eddie was really excited about this.

"It's actually cheaper to it this way then to have the ceremony here in a church so my parents should be happy."

"Even if they weren't then I would make sure it would happen for you."

"You would?" Janet cocked an eyebrow.

"We would make it happen together." Janet kissed him softly.

"Now another idea that I have is we get married the week before we originally planned, take our honeymoon and then come home and have our reception. We can show the video of the ceremony and then party and since we haven't decided on a honeymoon location yet I thought that if you were okay with it we could spend the week there at the beach and if we do that, we get a discount on the wedding package." Janet gushed out in one breath. She was so happy that Eddie was on board with this idea

"Let's do it."

"What part?"

"Every part. Let's get married on the beach. Let's honeymoon on the beach and then let's come home and celebrate. Let's do it Janet." With a grin bigger than he has ever seen, Janet placed her flute down, straddled Eddie's lap and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Thank you babe. Thank you so much. Do you have any idea how happy you have just made me?"

"I didn't don't anything but agree to an awesome idea."

"You agreeing is what makes me so happy. Now I just want to be sure that this is what you want and you're just not doing it to make me happy. I only want this type of wedding if it's the kind of wedding that you want."

"I'm a guy Janet and as a guy I could care less about all the fluff that goes along with the wedding. The only thing I want is to marry you, say our vows in front of our family and friends and that's why I didn't want to go to City Hall. I want witnesses. I want people to see what you mean to me and honestly that can be done here or on a beach. Have I ever thought about getting married on a beach? No. I just assumed that when we got engaged that it would be at a church. Honestly, I never thought about a wedding occurring outside of a church but now that you told me about a beach wedding I love it and there is nowhere else that I would rather marry you." Eddie wiped the tears off of her cheeks. "Those better be happy tears."

"They are. They really are."

"So when are we going to break the news to our families?"

"Next Thursday."

"On Thanksgiving?" Janet nodded. "You really know how to throw a wrench in the holiday joy don't ya?" Both of their families were so excited about the upcoming wedding. It was all they talked about when they were all together and they both knew that they may not be as excited about the change of venue as they were.

"If they love us they will support us and besides it's our wedding not theirs."

"I love you."

"Yes I know and that's why you are marrying me on a beach in four months."

"Damn straight." After a kiss that left Eddie wanting so much more, Janet climbed off of his lap and out of the hot tub. She held out her hand and Eddie climbed out of the hot tub and the two of them walked hand in hand back to their bedroom to christen their new bed and room.

* * *

"This is not working." Eddie groaned in frustration. The early morning sun was shining through their new bedroom window, waking them a lot earlier than planned.

"Curtains. We should have put up the curtains last night." Janet mumbled from under the pillow. Eddie reached over and pulled the pillow from her head. "Hey!"

"If I have to be exposed to the evil rays of the sun than so do you."

"I don't think so." Janet grabbed the blankets and pulled them over her head and Eddie quickly joined her under the covers.

"Now this is a good idea." They leaned towards each other and kissed. "Good morning." He whispered his lips a fraction of in inch away from hers.

"Good morning." They kissed again. "This bed is so comfy. It reminds me of the bed we had on vacation."

"Maybe we should try to enjoy this comfort for a few more hours."

"Nah. We've got a lot of work to do today and since we are already up we might as well get started." Janet sat up, naked as the day she was born pulling the blankets off of them.

"Come on baby. Just a couple more hours."

"Nope. You promised me we work all day until it was done so let's get started." Janet was up and out of bed searching for clothes.

"Can't we at least start out our day with some amazing sex?"

"No. Sex will be the reward for a job well done." Since Eddie was lying on his stomach, she walked over to his side of the bed and smacked his naked butt. "Now get your happy ass up and go get us some bagels." She demanded with a grin.

"It's going to be a long day." Eddie grumbled climbing out of bed.

While Eddie went on a bagel run Janet showered and by the time her fiancé returned with breakfast she had fresh clothes on, her hair was pulled back in a half bun. She had already formulated a plan of action and promptly informed Eddie of it when he walked in the door. He just grinned, nodded his head and simply replied with "Yes dear."

The two of them spent the day organizing and unpacking their new home and they actually had fun doing it. They laughed, they argued, and they talked throughout the day as knick-knacks were displayed, decorations were hung, dishes were washed, dried and put away and by the time the sun went down they had christened the new couch and dining room table, much to Eddie's delight and their home was exactly the way they wanted it.

"A couple more things than we are all done." Janet announced holding three picture frames in her hands.

"Whatcha got?" He watched as she placed the first picture of them that was ever taken, kissing at the homecoming pre-game party on the mantle of the fireplace. On the opposite end of the mantle she placed the picture of them from the night he took her on the double date to the French restaurant. In the middle she placed a beautiful empty silver frame. "Uhh honey, I think that you forgot something."

"No I didn't. That frame is where our wedding photograph will go." Eddie wrapped his arms around his fiancé.

"So I guess its official. Welcome home Janet."

"Welcome home Eddie."


	28. Chapter 28

Eddie walked into the bedroom on Thanksgiving Eve well technically it was Thanksgiving Day since it was 1:20 in the morning, and found his fiancé curled up in the fetal position on her side of the bed sound asleep. He always thought she looked so cute when she was sleeping. He walked over, brushed a stray curl off of her face and softly kissed her forehead. She sighed in her sleep but she never woke up. Eddie smiled and then reluctantly walked away from Janet so he could grab a shower.

Earlier that night he had gotten an emergency call from Mr. and Mrs. Hawkins. Their living room window had broken thanks to their grandchildren who were visiting for the holiday. Mr. Hawkins tried to fix it himself but he just made it worse. Since it was a small town, it was easy to get a hold of Eddie and once he did Mr. Hawkins begged then offered him a huge bonus if he would come out and fix it right away. He and Janet didn't have any plans so he grabbed Ikey and they went out to fix it. It was a good thing that Mr. Hawkins offered him a bonus because it ended being more difficult than anyone anticipated, hence Eddie not getting home until twenty minutes after one.

After Eddie scrubbed the dirt from his body he climbed into bed naked. Most nights he slept in just his boxers or if it was a cold night he would sleep in sweats and a tee shirt. The only time he slept naked was after he and Janet had made love. Janet usually slept naked as well after they made love and there was nothing Eddie enjoyed more than sleeping flesh to flesh next to the woman he loved and it didn't hurt that sleeping naked made it really easy to make love in the mornings.

Eddie scooted next to Janet and she instinctively pressed her body to his as she slept. Smiling Eddie pushed her hair off of her neck as he wrapped an arm around her and slid his hand under the tee shirt she was sleeping in while placing soft kisses on her neck. "Hmm." She sighed and Eddie knew she was awake. "You're home."

"I'm home." His hand traveled up her shirt and he cupped a breast.

"Time?" She asked sleepily.

"Almost two." Eddie pinched her nipple and Janet gasped.

"I tried to stay up but I got too tired."

"Are you too tired now?" Janet rolled over into Eddie.

"I think I just got a second wind." Eddie pulled Janet up and quickly removed her tee-shirt and laid her back down. He rolled on top of her and began kissing her lips. From there his lips traveled down her body, playing special attention to her breasts. "I love you." Janet breathed as Eddie strong hands removed her underwear.

Eddie threw the blankets back and got up on his knees. He grabbed Janet's legs, placed the soles of her feet flat on bed and Janet instantly spread her legs. "I love you Janet." He whispered tenderly as he pushed into Janet. "I love you so damn much." He pounded himself ruthlessly inside of Janet and the only things she could do was reach behind her and hold on to the headboard for dear life and she loved it. Their sounds of pleasure or moans and groans were the only sounds that could be heard in their home.

"Oh God…Janet…I…"He moaned her name over and over as he shuddered through his climax. Janet cried out just as Eddie's body stilled. Reluctantly, Eddie pulled out and collapsed, exhausted on the bed next to Janet. Janet sat up grabbed their blankets, covered them up and settled her head on his chest. Eddie responded by wrapping an arm around her.

"What in the hell got into you?"

"Well technically, I got into you." Janet laughed and swatted his arm. "I don't know. I just came home, saw you looking all beautiful while you slept and I just had to have you."

"I guess I should take that as a compliment."

"You should baby." Janet smiled as she gave his chest a few kisses and then settled in for the night.

"Hey babe?" Janet asked softly into the darkness a few minutes later.

"Hmmm?" Eddie was almost asleep.

"With today being thanksgiving there is something that I need to say. I try to tell or show you this every day but since today is the day of being thankful I want you to know how thankful I am that I have you in my life. I can't believe after everything that we have been through that we are here, together and getting married in a few months. Not only are you my fiancé and lover but Eddie you are my best friend. I don't want to imagine my life without you in it. Thank you baby. Thank you for forgiving me because if you hadn't done that I know that we wouldn't be here right now and thank you for loving me in a way that no one has ever loved me before. Your love has made me believe in myself. Thank you Eddie from the bottom of my heart. I love you so very much." When Eddie didn't respond Janet lifted her head and saw that his eyes were closed. "Eddie?" The response she got was a soft snore. Janet smiled, lifted her head and kissed his cheek. "Good night my sweet, sweet man."

* * *

"Don't worry mom. Eddie and I will get the dishes." Janet offered and Eddie choked on his coffee.

"We will?" He croaked and everyone laughed.

"Yes we will. Mom cooked this amazing dinner so the least we can do is the dishes."

"Come on Jason. Let's give them a hand." Lillian told her husband. Both men looked at each and sighed. Their girls were laying down the law and they had no choice but to obey.

Eddie and Janet were at her parents' house for their first Thanksgiving Day stop. They had received invitations from both of the parents and they didn't want to say no to either one so they decided to hit both homes. They were having an early Thanksgiving at Janet's parents' first and then after the first football game they were leaving and going to Eddie's parent's house for round two and the second football game.

"Why are we doing the dishes?" Eddie whispered when they were alone in the kitchen.

"I already told you."

"Liar." Janet grinned.

"I just thought that it would be a good idea to be on their good side when we tell them about the wedding."

"Good thinking." Eddie pulled Janet to his chest and kissed her softly.

"You guys aren't going to anything done if you keep that up." Lillian commented, walking in the kitchen with plates of food. Janet giggled and pulled away from Eddie so they could get to work.

It took a little longer to clean the kitchen then it should have simply because Janet and Eddie took quite a few breaks to kiss and there was even a water fight which Janet lost and ended up wet. As Lillian and Jason brought in the plates and placed the leftovers in bowls she couldn't help but to observe her sister and her fiancé. When they weren't kissing she noticed that they touched each other whenever possible; a touch on the arm, brushing their hands against each other. Another thing that she noticed was the tender looks of love that passed between the couple made the love they felt for each other undeniable to anyone else around. Lillian knew her sister was madly in love and she couldn't be happier for her.

"Latekka. The game is starting." Patrick announced walking into the kitchen. Eddie glanced at Janet with sad, puppy dog eyes.

"Go." Janet told him with a grin. "I got this." They were practically done in the kitchen. Janet was just wiping down the counters.

"You're the best." With a quick kiss, Eddie joined Janet's dad and brother-in law in the family room for the football game.

As soon as Eddie and Patrick walked out of the kitchen, Lillian, Kat and Grams walked in and the women of the house enjoyed a cup of coffee and good conversation during the first quarter of the football game. Janet was excited because Grams was coming and staying with her and Eddie the next day until she went home on Sunday. Janet could not wait to have her grandmother with her in her house and even Eddie was looking forward to it as well. They were so excited about their home and they wanted to share it with Grams. Janet even planned on giving up her bed and allowing Grams to sleep in it but Grams insisted that she would not sleep in her granddaughter's bed. She would be perfectly content staying in the bedroom that wasn't Max's and Janet knew better than to argue with her Grams.

By the second quarter of the game Janet was in the living room on Eddie's lap watching the football game while her mom, Lillian and Grams were enjoying more coffee in the living room. Growing up Janet was always the tomboy and could be found with her dad on the couch eating cheese puffs and watching a football game, especially on Thanksgiving. It was a tradition that she loved and now it was even better because she was enjoying the game with her dad on her fiancé's lap.

"So how about dessert?" Kat asked at halftime. She knew better than to interrupt a football game.

"Actually, before dessert Eddie and I have something that we need to talk to you about." Janet said getting off of Eddie's lap and sitting next to him. Eddie reached out and grabbed her hand.

"Is everything okay?" Kat asked with concern filling her face.

"No. Everything is great." Eddie answered.

"Eddie and I aren't getting married here." Janet answered but before she could explain any more, everyone was asking why, except for Grams. Even though Grams didn't have any idea what was happening she knew that it couldn't possibly be bad news.

"Will you please relax and let us explain?" Janet begged. Everyone calmed down. "Eddie and I decided, well actually it was my idea and since my fiancé is such an amazing man he agreed to it."

"To what?" An exasperated Kat asked.

"We are going to get married on the beach in Connecticut."

"What?"

"Why?"

"When?"

"We are planning on getting married a week before we originally planned but we are keeping the reception on the same day. We want to get married and honeymoon in Connecticut and then come home and have the reception." Janet explained.

"But why?" Kat asked.

"A big, church wedding isn't what I want. It's not who I am. I will not be comfortable standing up in front of everyone, knowing they are staring at me. I just don't want to be the center of attention."

"It's your wedding day. You should be the center of attention." Kat told her daughter.

"Not me."

"Eddie what about you? What do you want?" Patrick asked.

"I want to marry Janet and I don't care where it happens. I never considered a beach wedding but since she brought it up I love the idea."

"But Janet we want to be there to see you get married." Lillian finally spoke up.

"You can and we want you there. One of the reasons I chose Connecticut is because it's only a few hours away. Lil, you can still get a bridesmaid dress and stand up for me."

"Angel, I want to walk you down the aisle." Patrick softly said. Janet left Eddie's side so she could go sit next to her father.

"You still can daddy. I have wanted you to walk me to my future husband for as long as I can remember. Sure it won't be a traditional aisle but I am planning on you walking me from the hotel down the beach."

"What about your dress Janet? You already have your dress."

"It's a dress that I can wear on the beach and I'm planning on wearing it at the reception. How many people get to wear their dress more than once?"

"We put deposits down on the church, florist and photographer." Kat said.

"You can get the money back mom for the church and photographer. I still want a bouquet and I want Lil and Hannah to have one too if they come. You, Grams and Judee will need corsages and Eddie, Nick, Max and Mitch will need boutonnieres."

"What about a photographer Janet? Don't you want the memory of your wedding and reception?" Lillian inquired.

"The wedding package that Janet and I chose includes a photographer and videographer. As for the reception, we decided that we are going to get disposable cameras so our guests can take pictures. We figured that we will get better shots that way." Eddie decided that it was time he enter into this conversation.

"Well I think it's a splendid idea." Grams told the room and Eddie and Janet shot her a grateful look. At least they had support from one member.

The room went silent after Grams' statement. Janet looked at her family and she couldn't read their expressions and she became desperate. "Eddie and I are getting married on the beach in Connecticut. We have already put down a deposit and we want you to be there more than anything." Tears filled her eyes as she looked around the room at her mom, dad and sister. "Please…I…we want you there. We want your support."

"Janet, Eddie since this is what you want I will be there." Lillian told her sister.

"Of course we will be there." Kat said. "It's your wedding and if that's what then you have our support."

"Thank you." Janet looked at her dad, wanting his approval.

"Angel whatever you want. It's yours."

"Thank you daddy." Janet leaned over and hugged the man next to her and then she did the same with her mother, sister and grandmother.

"Now about this deposit." Patrick began. "Angel, your mother and I are paying for your wedding."

"Daddy, you don't have to. Eddie and I are adults. We can pay for our own wedding." Both Janet and Eddie's parents have offered to pay for their wedding even though the couple insisted that they could pay for it on their own.

"Janet I am not going to have this argument with you again. You are our daughter and we are going to pay for your wedding whether it's here or on a damn beach. Now how much was the deposit?"

"Really, it's okay." Eddie insisted, only to get a glare from Patrick. They put the deposit on the credit card that Eddie had gotten to pay for Janet's ring. He was now calling it the "Wedding Card."

"No really it's not. " Patrick got up and walked over to the desk where he pulled out his checkbook. "How much do I owe you?" Janet and Eddie looked at each other and shrugged. They knew that Patrick wasn't going to back down so Eddie reluctantly told him and Patrick happily wrote the check and handed it to Eddie.

* * *

"Latekka can I see you before you leave?" Patrick requested. Since Janet was saying goodbye to Grams it was the perfect time to have a conversation.

"Sure." Patrick walked to the kitchen and Eddie followed. "Are you always going to call me Latekka?" Eddie asked with a grin once they were alone.

"Maybe, after you are married I'll call you Eddie."

"Janet sometimes calls me Latekka. I think it's cute when she does it but you, not so much."

"I need you to know why I am insisting on paying for the wedding. You probably think that I am being a controlling jerk" Eddie grinned. "And maybe I am a little bit but here is the real reason. Janet is my little girl and it's my job as her father to take care of her. Your wedding, paying for it it's the last time that I will have a chance to take care of my little girl because after you two say "I Do" she won't need me to take care of her anymore. She'll have you." Janet was standing right outside the kitchen and heard everything her father said and tears filled her eyes.

"After Janet and I are married I will be the man who will take care of her but you are wrong about her not needing you. You are her father and she is your daughter. And she is always going to need you." Janet wiped her tears and stepped away, letting the two men she loved most in the world, have their moment.

"You are a good man Latekka. I couldn't ask for a better man for my angel." The two men shook hands. There was nothing else to be said and there definitely wasn't any hugging. They weren't girls.

* * *

Eddie loved his family but he was not looking forward to Thanksgiving dinner with them. If it would have simply been his parents, Max, Molly and him and Janet he would have been fine but that wasn't the case. His grandparents, Judee's parents were also in attendance. When Eddie would talk about his grandparents to Janet, he would tell her that not everyone was lucky enough to have a Grams and Gramps like she did. Eddie didn't hate his grandparents but he also never really got along with them. They were nothing like him and they rarely agreed on anything.

Neither Mitch nor Judee were born in The Ridge. Mitch was born and raised in Delaware and Judee was born and raised in North Carolina. Both of them came to Dufran College in Knights Ridge where they met and fell in love. They loved the small town so much that they decided to stay and raise their family there, like many of the residents of Knights Ridge. Judee's parents were not happy about her choice to move away from home. Eddie always wondered how his mom turned out how she did. She is a wonderful, loving, caring woman and mother. She loved her husband and boys with everything that she had and supported every choice they made, as long as it wasn't going to hurt them. Her mother was nothing like that.

First of all, Grandma never called Eddie, Eddie. She always referred to him as Edward and he hated it. He cringed every time she spoke his name and she seemed to know how much it bugged him because she seemed to use his name in excess. Eddie's grandmother was sorely disappointed in her oldest grandson when he didn't go to college. In her mind, you couldn't be a success unless you had a college degree. Eddie loved pointing out to her how many college graduates cannot find work and he couldn't wait to share the success his business has become over the last year even though he did not have a college degree.

When Eddie and Janet walked into the Latekka house they were greeted, as they always were by an excited and lovable Max. Once Max released the couple, Mitch and Judee hugged them and led them to the living room. As soon as Janet saw Eddie's grandparents sitting on the couch she felt underdressed. Janet and Eddie were both wearing khaki pants. Janet had a light colored sweater and Eddie was wearing a dark green polo shirt. Eddie's grandparents were standing there waiting for them dressed up. Grandma was wearing a silk dress with pearls while Grandpa wore a dark suit.

"This is my fiancée Janet. Honey, these are my grandparents, Ben and Helen." With the hand that wasn't clutching Eddie's Janet reached out to shake their hands. Janet's hand hung out there for a few very long seconds before Ben finally shook it and then Helen followed.

"It's so nice to meet you." Janet told them and they just nodded.

"Well let's eat." Judee announced in an attempt to break the tension that was building.

"I think that's a great idea." Ben said.

"Yes. Most people eat Thanksgiving dinner before 4:00." Helen said.

"I'm sorry that we are eating so late. We were at my parent's house." Janet explained.

"I don't see why you couldn't have come here first." Helen commented.

"It was my idea for us to have a later dinner mom." Judee told her.

"Maybe you should have considered others before you made this decision."

"Drop it mom. Let's eat." Everyone went to the dining room.

"Wow." Janet mouthed to Eddie.

"Told you." He whispered.

Dinner was at best, strained. Mitch, Judee, Max, Molly, Eddie and Janet did the best they could to keep the conversation going but it was awkward considering Ben and Helen didn't do much talking. Janet didn't take it personally because she according to Eddie, who warned her prior that this was just the way they were.

"What do you do for a living Janet?" Helen asked.

"_Oh here it goes." _Eddie thought.

"I am the assistant manager at The Johnson Inn." Helen perked up, slightly.

"Oh. You have a degree in hotel management?"

"No."

"Are you working towards your degree?"

"No ma'am. I'm not."

"Then how did you become a manager without a degree?"

"I worked hard and was promoted." Helen just looked at Janet who smiled sweetly. She was not going to let this woman intimidate her. "Before I worked at The Inn I worked at Sully's Tavern as a bartender. When I left the bar I started waitressing at The Inn. From there I began filling in at the check in desk. My boss saw must have liked what he saw because he promoted me to assistant manager."

"A waitress and a bartender. Very interesting." Helen pursed her lips together. Janet felt Eddie stiffen beside her and she reached under the table and placed her hand on his thigh.

"Both are very honest, hardworking professions. Without waiters, waitresses and bartenders you wouldn't have food or drinks when you went out to eat and I'm sure that you appreciate their services when you dine out." Janet informed them and Eddie grinned. His heart was swollen with pride.

"Since you two are getting married and settling down are you considering college?" Ben asked.

"No. I am perfectly happy with my job." Janet answered.

"In today's economy you can't guarantee job security and without a college degree…"

"Let it go Grandma." Eddie interrupted. "Janet and I are doing fine and we don't need a college degree."

"Are you sure about that Edward? You have already had one business fail…"

"Mom!" Judee gasped.

"I'm not being cruel. I am being realistic. Edward has already been through one failed business so he knows how easily that can happen." Helen explained.

"Best Friend Windows is doing really well right now. In fact, we are really turning a profit." Eddie informed Grandma. "And if for some reason it does fail Janet and I will get through it. I survived one failed business so I'm pretty sure I can survive another." Eddie muttered.

"Since you are getting married I think it would be a wise idea to have a backup plan. A plan such as a college degree." Ben told his grandson.

"Thanks for the advice grandpa." Eddie said. "Speaking of weddings…" Janet knew Eddie was going to tell his family about the beach wedding. "Janet and I have decided that we want to get married on the beach in Connecticut."

"Really?" Judee asked with a smile. She loved that idea.

"Why on earth would you do that?" The tone of Helen's voice let everyone know that she did not like that idea. "Weddings are meant to take place in a church, not on some beach."

"Weddings can take place anywhere. It doesn't matter where the vows are exchanged. The only thing that matters is if the people saying those vows mean them. Eddie and I will mean those vows whether we say them in a church or on a beach. We want to say them on beach and that's where we will get married." Eddie was so proud of Janet for standing up and defending their choices he wanted to cheer but he retrained himself, a smile being the only evidence of his pride he let escape.

Ben and Helen were momentarily stunned into silence so Eddie and Janet took that opportunity to tell everyone at the table the details of their beach wedding and reception. Mitch and Judee were excited about it. It really didn't matter to them where Eddie and Janet got married. As long as they did what they wanted to do they were going to support them.

"How can you expect people to come to a reception and not attend a wedding? That's just rude. The main reason people attended a reception is to celebrate the wedding that they witnessed."

"Not our friends. It doesn't matter. No matter what the occasion, if there is free booze our friends are there." Eddie joked.

"Maybe you should find new friends Edward." Helen told her grandson.

"My friends are fine and I have no intention of looking for new ones." Helen shook her head.

"What happens if it rains during your wedding?" Ben asked.

"Then we get umbrellas." Eddie snapped. "Look, Janet and I are getting married on the beach. You are family and we want you there either the wedding, the reception or both but I'm not going to make you do something you don't want to do." He had just about had it with his grandparents.

"I think that get married on a beach is a ridiculous idea." Helen mumbled.

"It's a good thing that you aren't getting married on the beach."

"No reason to get so angry Edward. Your grandfather and I just want what is best for you." Helen looked pointedly at Janet.

"Janet is what is best for me." Eddie informed his mother's parents.

"How about if I get these plates to the kitchen?" Janet announced suddenly, standing and grabbing her and Eddie's plates. She couldn't sit there any longer.

"Babe…"

"It's good." With a sad smile, Janet disappeared into the kitchen and Mitch followed her.

"Max, why don' t you and Molly go and watch a movie?" Judee suggested.

"Okay." Max quickly got up and took Molly's hand. "What movie can we watch?"

"Whatever movie you want to."

"Come on Molly." Eddie sat forward on his elbows and looked at his grandparents.

"Grandma, grandpa, I know that I haven't made the choices that you guys have wanted for me. I'm not Tucker or Melanie." Those were Eddie's cousins who both had graduated from college and married their spouses in churches. It was obvious to Eddie that Tucker and Melanie were the favorites and it never bothered him. "And I don't want to be them. They made the choices that work for them and I have made choices that work me, two of those choices being marrying Janet and marrying Janet on a beach. She makes me happy and I love her more than anything and that is what should matter to you. Not the fact that she doesn't have a freaking college degree and if you can't accept that then I don't want you at my wedding."

Meanwhile, in the kitchen Mitch found Janet clearing off dishes. She avoided making eye contact with her future father in law because she didn't want to cry. "How are you doing kiddo?"

"Fine." She answered softly.

"Don't take what happened out there personally." Janet turned to Mitch with tears in her eyes.

"I wanted them to like me." She whispered tearfully.

"It's not you honey. It's them. I've been married to Judee for over thirty years and they still don't like me."

"That's not true."

"Did you see either of them willing start a conversation with me?" Janet shook her head.

"Why? You have a college degree." Mitch was a pharmacist who worked at the hospital.

"It's not just about having a college degree. Helen and Ben will look for any reason to discredit someone. For me, it was probably the fact that I got Judee pregnant before we were married." Janet quickly looked away and Mitch laughed. "Now don't act like you don't know. I know that Eddie knows that he was in attendance at our wedding and I know he told you." Janet looked back at Mitch who winked at her. "I had two strikes against me right from the beginning. Judee was pregnant before we got married and I was taking her away from her family by staying here in The Ridge even though staying here and raising our boys here was something that we both decided. Hell, it was her idea but as far as Ben and Helen were concerned, it was all me." Janet sniffed and smiled. Mitch pulled her to his chest and hugged her. "It's not you sweetheart. Remember that. If you would have had a degree and married in a church then she would have found something else. Don't worry. Eddie will set her straight."

"Damn right I did." Eddie walked into the kitchen. "Back off my woman dad." Mitch relinquished his grip on Eddie's fiancé and Eddie took her in his arms and hugged her tightly. Over her head, Eddie mouthed "Thank you." Mitch nodded and discreetly disappeared from the kitchen. Eddie lifted her face and kissed her softly.

"Thank you. I needed that." She whispered against his neck.

"It's not you babe."

"That's what your dad said."

"He would know." Eddie cracked with a smile. "You are perfect in every way."

"I really wanted them to approve. I wanted them to like me." Eddie grinned.

"We don't need their approval and they don't like me so much and I am their flesh and blood." Eddie always knew how to make her feel better and in spite of the sadness she felt over his grandparent's reception of her, she laughed.


	29. Chapter 29

"Max, go put your stuff in your room." Janet instructed when they walked into their home after their memorable Thanksgiving Day. Max couldn't wait any longer to spend the night so Eddie and Janet brought him home with him. Knowing that he would be coming home with him, they left him a welcoming gift on his bed.

"Okay Janet." Eddie and Janet grinned at each other as Max bounded down to his room.

"Oh my God." They heard Max shout seconds later.

"Looks like he found the cards." The couple got Max a few baseball cards to add to his collection. "Brace yourself. Here he comes." The instant the words were out of Eddie's mouth Max ran into the living room.

"Did you see these cards?" Max asked excitedly.

"How do you think they got on your bed dude?" Eddie asked with a grin.

"They are from you?"

"From me and Janet."

"You guys are the best." He engulfed his brother and his brother's fiancé in a bear hug.

"Max…I can't…breathe…" Janet gasped.

"Let her go Max."

"Sorry Janet."

"It's okay."

"So can we watch a movie?"

"You guys can do whatever you want. I'm going shopping."

"It's late." Max informed her.

"But it's Thanksgiving and there are special sales that start late at night." Every year Hannah and Janet braved the mobs and went shopping.

"Can I come with you?"

"Nope. Hannah and I are shopping while you and Eddie have a boy's night in."

"I'll be good. I won't ask for anything."

"If you go shopping with the girls then who is going to play the WII with me?"

"We're playing the WII?"

"I believe that I have to kick your butt in baseball."

"You're on. You're going down Eddie."

"We'll see about that. Get it step up while I say goodbye to Janet."

"Bye Janet." Max's urgency to go with Janet was suddenly forgotten as he went to set up the video game.

"Bye Max. Have fun."

"Come on babe. I'll walk you out." Since Janet hadn't even bothered to take her coat off so Eddie simply took her hand and led her outside. "So what are you going to buy?" Eddie asked her once they got outside.

"Christmas stuff."

"Christmas stuff?"

"Since my old house was small, I had a small tree. We have a bigger house so we need a bigger tree with more decorations." Her smile was huge and Eddie thought it was adorable. He loved how excited she was about Christmas and her excitement was contagious. Eddie pulled a credit card out of his wallet and handed it to her.

"Have fun sweetheart." Janet stood on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Buy whatever you want so our house is a Christmassy as you want it to be."

"You really are the best."

"I know I am." Eddie lowered his head and kissed her softly. "Don't be out too late." He said with a wink, when they broke their embrace.

"Yes sir." Janet pulled out of Eddie's arms and climbed into her jeep. "Have fun with Max."

"You know I will."

"I love you." Eddie leaned through the window and kissed her again.

"I love you too."

Janet returned from her shopping spree at two thirty in the morning. The back of her jeep was full with Christmas joy. She bought a large, six and half foot pre-lit tree and bags upon bags of decorations for their home and tree. Not wanting to wake Eddie it took her six trips to bring everything in and store it in the living room. She had the most trouble with the tree. It was bigger than she was and she struggled to get it in the door and once it was in the door she pushed it to where it needed to be. She wished she didn't have to work the next morning, because she was so excited about everything she bought she wanted to get it up right away but it couldn't be done. She was exhausted. After changing into her pajamas she climbed in bed next to a snoring Eddie. He never moved, never broke the rhythm of his snoring. Janet smiled, kissed his cheek and snuggled next to him where she remained for the next few hours until her alarm went off.

* * *

Janet was sleeping so soundly that she never actually heard her alarm going off. Eddie was the one that heard the alarm and after a minute of hearing the annoying beep he realized that Janet was not going to shut it off. Groaning, he leaned over Janet to hit the snooze button. "Whaa…?" Janet groaned.

"You're alarm went off sweetheart." Janet groaned and buried her head under the comforter. Normally Janet had no trouble getting up in the mornings. She was a morning person who hoped right out of bed as soon as her alarm went off. The only time she had trouble getting up was when she had a really late night. "What time did you get home? I never heard you." Eddie asked, pulling the comforter down, revealing Janet's sleepy face.

"I came to bed a little after three." She mumbled, not opening her eyes.

"Did you get everything that you wanted?" Janet nodded. "Was it worth it? The craziness? Being out late?" Janet finally opened her eyes.

"Wait till you see everything I got." Eddie smiled softly at his sleepy fiancé.

"Maybe you should call off work today and we can put up our tree."

'I wish I could."

"There are other things we could do besides just put up a tree." Eddie began to nuzzle her neck.

"Not with Max here." Eddie lifted his head from her neck and he placed his lips on hers and that seemed to wake her up. Her lips automatically responded to his as she returned his kiss.

"Good morning." Eddie whispered.

"Good morning." Janet rubbed her face. "Scratchy." Eddie grinned and rubbed his day old beard.

"Sorry, I haven't shaved yet." The alarm went off again and this time Janet was the one that shut it off.

"I gotta get moving." Janet gave Eddie a quick kiss and rolled out his arms.

"Just a few more minutes. " Eddie begged.

"No can do dude. I've got to get ready. Go back to sleep."

Eddie was unable to fall back asleep simply because he didn't want to. He knew how tired Janet was so after taking care of his morning bathroom issues he went and started a pot of coffee. As he waited for the coffee to brew he went out into the living room to look through the bags of stuff she brought until the coffee pot beeped, letting him know the coffee was ready. He made them each a cup and carried them into their bedroom where Janet was out of the shower and getting dressed. Before making his presence known, he stood in the doorway and watched Janet walking around the room wearing nothing but her bra and panties. He knew he would never tire of looking at her. She was so beautiful.

"Do I smell coffee?" She asked, walking out of the closet.

"You do." Janet tossed her clothes on the bed, walked over and took a cup from Eddie. She closed her eyes and took a large swing.

"Ahhh. Perfect. You always know exactly what I need."

"It wasn't hard to figure out that you needed a cup of coffee sweetheart. You're exhausted."

"You're the best." Janet finished her coffee with a second swig and handed Eddie the empty cup.

"Would you like a refill?"

"Wow. You read my mind."

"Handing me an empty cup kinda helped out." Janet laughed and began to dress while Eddie went and refilled Janet's coffee. He returned a few minutes later and joined Janet in the bathroom where she was blow drying her hair. He set the cup on the counter and set his butt on the toilet seat.

"Quit watching me." Janet said looking at Eddie through the bathroom mirror. "It's creeping me out."

"No I won't. I like watching you." Janet shook her head and continued blow drying her hair. As he watched her dry her hair, he was really glad that he wasn't a girl. It took a lot of effort for a girl to get ready. "So you really bought a lot of Christmas joy." Eddie commented once Janet was done drying her hair and was applying her makeup. Janet turned and looked at him.

"It's not as bad as it looks. I bought everything on sale."

"Its okay hon. I told you to get whatever you wanted." Janet set her makeup down and sat on his lap.

"I may have gone overboard a little…" Eddie quirked an eyebrow. "But I just love Christmas and I want it to be perfect."

"I know how much you love Christmas and it will be perfect." Janet wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him softly.

"I can't wait for you to see everything." Eddie laughed.

"You are so damn cute when you are excited."

"As much as I would love to spend the day, right here I have to get ready."

"You know babe, you are beautiful even when you don't have any makeup on. I don't know why you wear it."

"Cause I'm a girl and that's what girls do." Eddie shook his head and left the bathroom with a smile.

Fifteen minutes later Eddie was helping Janet into her coat. He handed her a travel mug full of hot coffee. "Thanks babe. I'm going to need this. There are plenty of leftovers in the fridge for you and Max. Don't go through the bags. I will show you everything when I …"Eddie shut her up with a kiss.

"Have a great day at work dear."

"Have fun with Max." Janet grabbed her purse and keys. "I love you."

"I love you too."

* * *

"Excuse me Janet?" She looked up from her desk to look at the head waitress from the restaurant.

"What's up Sarah?"

"There is a table that is asking to speak with the manager and that would be you."

"Of course. What would a day be without someone complaining?" Sarah laughed. "What table?"

"Table eight."

"I'll be out in a minute." Janet saved the document she was working on, put on her nice manager face and went into the restaurant to deal with the unhappy customers. Stepping into the restaurant her eyes traveled to table eight so she could get a feel for the customers and she grinned when she found the table. She knew exactly how she was going to deal with them.

"Excuse me, I was told that you wanted to see me. I'm Janet, the assistant manager."

"Yes Janet I did ask to see you. My guests and I had to wait fifteen minutes before we were seated and I find that unacceptable."

"Did you have a reservation sir?"

"No I didn't."

"Well we do require reservations but we can accommodate walk-ins but there will be a wait. We do have a sign that informs our patrons of that."

"I thought that policy wouldn't apply to me."

"Sir, why on earth would you think such a thing?"

"Because I'm sleeping with the assistant manager."

"Eddie!" Janet gasped and he just grinned.

"Well I am. Every night I sleep in the same bed as the assistant manager." Max was no longer able to hold back. He burst out laughing.

"We tricked you Janet."

"You certainly did." With a smile, Janet kissed Eddie, hugged Max and her Grams. "What are you guys doing here?"

"We were hungry and thought that we would stop in for lunch."

"Can you join us dear?" Grams asked.

"I think I can." Janet took the only other available seat, the one between Grams and Max, across from Eddie.

"So I take it you are joining this table for lunch?" Sarah asked, handing Janet a menu.

"It seems that the only way to resolve this customer's complaint is to join them so here I am."

An hour later, lunch was over and Eddie, Grams and Max were leaving. It was a fun lunch filled with lots of conversation and laughter, mainly thanks to Max. He kept most of the conversation going and he always had everyone laughing. Eddie and Janet both noticed that Grams seemed to adore Max and Max seemed to feel the same way about Edith. For once, Janet had some competition for Max's affections and she didn't mind one bit.

"Thanks for coming by and bringing Grams."

"It was her idea."

"Liar." Janet accused and Eddie grinned.

"I may have suggested it but Grams rolled with it."

"You know, not many guys would spend the day hanging out with their fiancé's grandmother. You're pretty special like that." Eddie shrugged. "No really Eddie, I mean it. It's pretty awesome that you like to hang out with Grams. It means more to me than you will ever know."

"I almost made a huge mistake a couple of years ago. When you wanted me to go with you to Rhode Island I balked."

"Yes you did." Janet agreed.

"I'll be honest. The idea of spending two days with old people was not on my to-do list. I had no desire to go."

"Back then I was so thankful that you wanted to go I never asked why so changed your mind so why did you change your mind?"

"A couple of reasons. One of those was what you said at the bar. You said that I squirmed at the thought of spending two hours in a car with you and that put everything in perspective for you. I didn't want the thought of me squirming at being alone with you in a car for a couple of hours being the perspective that you had. The second reason was something that Ikey said."

"Ikey gave you insight?"

"Remember my friend, Angela that died?" Janet nodded. "We all thought that Angela was meant to be with one of us, each of us thought that we were the one but it turns out that as soon as she moved away she met her "one" right after she moved. After talking about that, Ikey pointed out that maybe all of us had our own "Angela" back home waiting for us and I realized that Ikey was right. My "Angela" was you. On the way home, I stopped and bought the tickets to "Bye Bye Birdie" on the way home. I knew I had to change your perspective."

"Remind to thank Ikey one day." Janet told him just before she pressed her lips to his in a short, tasteful kiss. She was at work after all.

* * *

"Hello. I am home." Janet called as she walked into her house and Max came rushing up to her. "Hello Max."

"We have a surprise for you."

"You do?" Max practically ripped her coat off of her.

"Close your eyes."Janet did as she was asked. Max took her hand and led her to the living room but he wasn't the best leader.

"Geez Max, watch where you going. You're running Janet into walls."

"Sorry Janet."

"Can I open my eyes?"

"Yep. Open your eyes." Janet opened her eyes and saw the Christmas tree she bought yesterday standing tall in her living room all lit up.

"Wow." She whispered.

"So you like it? I thought that it would be nice to have it up for you when you got home so we could decorate together, as a family." Eddie seemed so nervous so Janet walked over and hugged him tightly, putting him out of his misery.

"I love it. Thank you baby."

"Are you sure I didn't overstep? I wasn't sure if you wanted to decorate the tree with just us. I just thought…" Janet silenced him with a kiss.

"You did perfect. There is no one else I would rather decorate my…our tree with then Max and Grams." Janet's eyes were filled with unshed happy tears. "You are so thoughtful. You make me so happy." Before Eddie could respond, the doorbell rang.

"Dinner is here." Eddie kissed her nose. "We'll finish this conversation later."

The four of them put their pizza on paper plates, soda on the coffee table while they all decorated the tree. Grams and Eddie opened all of the new packages of bulbs while Janet and Max, hung them on the tree. Growing up, Eddie never really was involved in decorating his family's tree. His mom always did it and Max helped as soon as he was old enough. Usually Eddie would get home and the tree was already done. Now, for the first time in his life, Eddie was glad he was a part of putting up the tree and it was because of Janet. He loved how excited she was over the silly ornaments. He loved the smile that had been plastered on her face since she first saw the tree.

"I have a something for you." Grams told the young couple once the last ornament was on the tree.

"Grams you shouldn't have."

"Hush your mouth Janey." Edith stood and walked into her room.

"Who is Janey?" Max asked and Eddie burst out laughing. "What is so funny?"

"Janet is Janey." Eddie explained to Max.

"I don't understand."

"My Grams, she calls me Janey."

"Cool. I like it. I'm going to call you Janey."

"Sorry dude. The only person who can call me Janey is Grams."

"And sometimes me." Eddie piped up.

"Not even you." Grams came out of her room and handed a box to Janet.

"Eddie come and sit beside Janet." Grams demanded and Eddie knew better than to argue with Grams. He went and had a seat next to his fiancé. She slowly lifted the box, moved the tissue paper to the side and pulled out the angel that had sat on top of her grandparent's tree for as long as Janet remembered.

"Grams?" Janet whispered tearfully. Gingerly, Janet pulled the angel out of the box and ran her fingers over it.

"Your grandfather bought this for our first Christmas together. We had a small tree with a few ornaments because that's all that we could afford but I wanted an angel for the top of our tree so Gramps worked extra shifts and on Christmas morning that first year, this was the only gift I opened."

Janet had seen the angel on her grandparents Christmas trees every year since she was born and she never knew the story of how it got there. It was a beautiful story of true love. It reminded Janet of how deeply her grandparents loved each other and she knew that Eddie would do exactly what her grandfather did for her grandmother. Eddie would work twenty four hours a day if he could to make sure she had whatever her heart's desire.

"Grams I…we can't take this. It's…Gramps gave it to you."

"Sweet Janey, what am I going to do with it? I have a small tree in my room and it won't fit on top of it." Grams grinned and Eddie reached over and wiped the tears from Janet's cheeks. "Gramps and I we want you to have it. We talked about it before he passed. We know that if anyone would care for this angel as I did it is you Janet."

As Janet ran her fingers over the angel, tears filled her eyes thinking of the love that her grandparents felt for each other and the angel in her hands was proof of that strong love. Janet handed the angel to Eddie and went to hug her Grams. "Thank you Grams. Thank you so much." Janet whispered. "I promise that I will take care of her like you did."

"I know that." Janet pulled away from Grams, wiped her tears and turned to Eddie who was holding the angel.

"Babe." Eddie looked up at Janet and he had tears of his own in his eyes. "Would you put the angel on?"

"I would love too."

After the tree was officially decorated to Janet's satisfaction the girls spent the next couple of hours pulling out the decorations that Janet had from her previous house while Eddie and Max played video games. Janet collected snowmen that she placed throughout the house along with the two Christmas cottages that Janet started buying two years ago. She placed them on the mantel of the fireplace. Her goal was to continue to buy a new one every year to add to her collection after Christmas when everything Christmas is marked down. It was fun and Janet would have loved to make it a whole night full of Christmas festivities but she and Edith only made it until eight thirty before they went to bed.

"I'll be right back Max. I'm going to tuck Janet in." Eddie told his brother.

"Janet is a grown up. She doesn't need to be tucked in."

"Yes she does." Eddie left Max and went into his bedroom, shutting the door behind him. Janet was already in bed under the covers. "I'm here to tuck you in but I think I may be too late for that." Janet opened her eyes, looked at Eddie and smiled.

"Tuck me in?"

"I had to tell Max something." Eddie climbed into bed next to Janet and wrapped and arm around her waist and placed his face next to her ear.

"Is this your version of tucking me in?"

"Hmm umm." He nodded against her neck, making her giggle.

"Thank you for putting up the tree for us to decorate."

"It was no problem. Max and I had fun doing it with Grams telling us where it should go." Janet rolled over so she was facing him.

"Really, thank you sweetheart. I…it…you…" Janet had trouble finding the words to tell Eddie how much what he did meant to her so he solved the problem by kissing her.

"You are very welcome my love." He brushed her hair back from her face and smiled softly at the woman he loved. "By the way, there is a bag of lights left that probably need to be returned. Did you forget that you bought a pre-lit tree?"

"No I didn't forget and no I don't need to return them."

"Then what are they for?" He asked, although he an idea what she had planned for those Christmas lights.

"They are for the outside of the house."

"You're going to put Christmas lights up outside? I think that is a swell idea babe."

"Not me."

"If not you than who?" Janet batted her eyes and smiled.

"I was thinking that you could be all manly and put them up."

"Now why would I want to do that?"

"Because you love me and it's something that I want. "

"The only two reasons that I can't argue with."

"I'll have to remember that."

"It only works so many times."

"We'll see about that." Shaking his head, Eddie leaned forward and kissed her until neither of them could breathe any longer.

"Get some sleep babe." Eddie reluctantly got out of bed. "I love you."

"I love you too."

* * *

Early Sunday evening Janet pulled into her driveway and beeped her horn. She had just returned from returning Grams to the nursing home in Rhode Island and she and Eddie were going to The Knight's Ridge Christmas festival. It only lasted for two days. It was set up the day before and would be torn down tomorrow morning. As she sat in the driveway, waiting for Eddie she admired her house that was aglow with Christmas lights thanks to her amazing fiancé and Max who insisted on helping.

"Hey guys." Janet greeted as Eddie and Max climbed into the jeep. Max has been with the, since the Friday after Thanksgiving and as much as they loved him, they were anxious to return him home to his parents so they could be alone again.

"Hiya Janet."

"Hi Max." Eddie leaned over and kissed Janet. "Great job on the house babe." Janet complimented Eddie as she pulled out of the driveway.

"I didn't too bad of a job, did I?"

"I helped. I held the light for Eddie so they wouldn't get tangled."

"You did a great job Max."

"Yep. I couldn't have done it without you." Max grinned proudly at his older brother's words.

Twenty minutes the three of them had made it to town, found a parking spot, which was a rather difficult task since it seemed the entire town was here, and they were beginning to roam the festival. Just when Eddie and Janet were starting to think that they were never going to find Mitch and Judee, they heard Judee yelling their names.

"Hi mom. Hi Dad." Max greeted his parents.

"Hi sweetheart." Judee kissed her youngest child then moved on to Eddie and Janet. "I have missed you." She told Max.

"I had so much fun with Eddie and Janet."

"You didn't miss me?"

"Or me?" Mitch added.

"Not really." Everyone laughed.

"Did you guys enjoy your weekend?" Janet asked her future in-laws.

"Very much." Mitch answered with a wink. Eddie laughed. Judee slapped her husband on the arm and Janet blushed.

"Come on Max. Let's go see what there is to see." Judee said.

"No. I want to go with Eddie and Janet."

"You have spent the whole weekend with them son. Mom and I miss you and want to hang with you."

"But I…"

"Hug your brother and Janet and thank them for taking such good care of you." Judee demanded. With a defeated look, Max did as he was told.

"Max, I will see you tomorrow for work. I'll be there at seven thirty to get you. Be ready."

"I will." Eddie and Janet waved goodbye and went to explore.

Two hours later the couple had run into many of their friends and acquaintances. They ate a lot of fried and holiday food. They stopped at most every booth to browse but the only thing they bought was personalized tree ornament. It was a First Christmas bulb and they had their names put on it.

At seven thirty they were standing in the middle of town, waiting for the lighting of the Christmas tree. It was a tradition that Knight's Ridge engaged in every year. There was Christmas music playing and the snow had begun to fall. Eddie walked over and handed Janet a cup of hot chocolate.

"Thank you." Eddie slung an arm around her shoulders and pulled her body next to his.

"You are very welcome. I saw Santa when I was getting the hot chocolate. You wanna sit on his lap?"

"No way. I'm a little too old for that."

"You're never too old to sit on Santa's lap."

"Maybe if you dress up as Santa I will sit on your lap." Eddie laughed.

"That can be arranged."

"Beard and all."

"You hate it when I don't shave and have a beard."

"Your real beard is scratchy. Santa's beard isn't."

"When was the last time you kissed Santa?" Janet winked at him.

"I will never tell."

"Well then I am going to have to have a talk with the old bastard. Nobody kisses my girl but me. " They both laughed as the mayor came onto stage.

The mayor gave a short holiday speech, retelling the story of how the Christmas festival began and the traditions that the town indulged in during the holidays, the same speech he gave every year. By the time the speech was over, Janet's head was resting on Eddie's shoulder and neither of them had heard the last three minutes of the mayor's speech. They were both lost in their own thoughts about Christmas and their future together. The clapping from people around them as the lights on the giant Christmas tree came on one row at a time brought them back to the present.

"Isn't it beautiful?" Janet whispered, staring at the tree, fully lit.

"It sure is." Eddie answered, staring at the woman in his arms.


	30. Chapter 30

"Max, leave that box until I can help you with it." Eddie told his brother.

"Okay."

Eddie glanced at the clock, wondered where Nick was before he went over to search Nick's desk for the work order for today's job. Since the order wasn't on his desk it had to be on Nick's desk. Making himself comfortable in Nick's chair he began to sort through all of the paperwork until he found what he was looking for. When the bell on the front door jangled Eddie looked up from the work order and saw Nick.

"Hey Nicky." He looked back down at the work order then right back up at his partner. Nick hadn't shaved; his eyes were red, swollen and sunken in. "The commander?"

"About an hour and a half ago." Eddie stood up and walked over to his friend.

"I'm so sorry Nicky."

"He went peacefully. We were all there and we got to say goodbye." Nick's voice was shaking.

"What can I do?" Nick shook his head.

"The commander planned everything. He even wrote his own obituary."

"That makes it easy for you."

"I have to write a eulogy." Nick's resolve broke. "What do I say Eddie?" His body began shake with sobs. "How in the hell do I put into words, a few words what my father meant or means to me? How?" Eddie had only seen him this distraught one other time and it was when his mother died. Eddie pulled Nick in for a man/comfort hug. "I missed ten years man. Ten years of time with the commander that I will never get back." Eddie didn't say anything. He knew there was nothing that he could say that would ease the guilt and heartbreak that Nick was feeling right now.

"I'm sorry Eddie." Nick pulled back from Eddie.

"Don't be sorry."Nick wiped his tears with the back of his hand.

"Uhh, Ronnie and I won't be here for probably most of the week."

"I figured as much and don't worry about it. Take as much time as you need. I've got it handled."

"Thanks."

"When is the funeral?"

"It's still early so I still have to make calls but probably calling hours tomorrow and the funeral on Wednesday."

"Janet and I will be there."

"I appreciate it."

"Do you need anything?" Nick shook his head. "Well if you do, call us."

"I will." Nick held out his hand and Eddie shook it. "Thank you."

"What are friends for? " Eddie watched as Nick, head hung low walk out of the office.

* * *

"Thank you for calling The Johnson Inn, this is Janet. How may I help you?"

"Hey babe."

"Well isn't this a pleasant surprise?"

"I tried your cell."

"It's in my office and my front desk clerk won't be in until nine. What's up? Miss me already?"

"The commander died this morning." Eddie told her softly.

"Oh no. Poor Nick. Poor Hannah. Poor Sam. Poor Ronnie. I need to call Hannah. How is Nick? Did you see him?"

"He's really bad. Guilt is his main emotion right now with heartbreak running a close second."

"We've known it was coming, but it's still rough." Janet mused.

"I'm sure Hannah will need you to check up on her today."

"You know I will."

"Look babe, I'm going to have to work late tonight. I'm going to have to rearrange our schedule for this week since Nicky and Ronnie won't be here and Ikey and I are going to need time off for the funeral and calling hours and I have no idea how long it will take me. "

"Would you like some company?"

"You know I would but you'll just distract me."

"No I won't."

"Not intentionally but you know whenever I am around you I am distracted by you." Janet giggled. "Max what?" Max had been tapping his brother on the arm.

"Tell Janet I said hi."

"Janet, Max says hi."

"Hi Max." Eddie repeated Janet's words and turned his attention back to his conversation. "All right babe, I gotta go."

"I know."

"I'll call you later."

"I know."

"I love you."

"I know." Eddie laughed. "I love you too."

"Have a great day."

"Be careful."

"You know I will."

Throughout the day Janet and Eddie called to check on their friends and found them to be as well as could be expected. Arrangements were finalized. Calling hours were scheduled for Wednesday, which allowed people who lived out of town time to get to Knight's Ridge and the funeral was on the following day. Even though the obituary wouldn't be running until the following day word about the commander's death was quickly spreading as were the condolences.

Once Janet got off work she stopped at the grocery store and grabbed all of the makings for Lasagna. She wanted to do something for the Garrett family but wasn't sure what she could do. They didn't need any help with the funeral arrangements since The Commander already took care of the details but Janet didn't like feeling useless so she made Lasagna and took it over to her friends. Before leaving for Nick and Hannah's she called Murph's and ordered a couple of Eddie's favorite subs to be delivered to Best Friend Windows. She knew he wouldn't stop work to eat and she couldn't have her man go hungry. It wasn't a purely selfless act on behalf of a concerned fiancé. Eddie never worked well on an empty stomach. He couldn't concentrate and everything took longer. With a full belly, Eddie would get home sooner to her.

* * *

A few hours later, about twenty minutes after nine Eddie finally walked in the house. He had been working for more than twelve hours and he was exhausted. Janet was on the couch, watching television, drinking a glass of wine. Eddie walked in and kissed her softly. "Hi." She whispered softly, after the kiss.

"Hi yourself."

"How are you?" She asked looking into his brown eyes. He just nodded.

"I'm going to shower."

"I'll be waiting right here for you." Janet knew he was hurting over Nick's father's death and he would never willingly admit out loud to anyone but she wasn't just anyone. When she heard the shower turn off, she went and got him a cold beer. He needed it.

"Here babe." Janet handed Eddie the beer. Eddie smiled in thanks and guzzled half the bottle in one swig.

"Thanks for dinner by the way." Eddie was pleasantly surprised when the delivery from Murph's showed up at his office. Janet had taken care of everything. She made sure he had food, beverage and she paid for it all. "It was a nice surprise and I was starving."

"I knew you would be and I knew you wouldn't eat until you were done."

"I had a lot to do." He rubbed his eyes. "Ikey and I worked straight through lunch and it still took us till after six thirty to finish. After getting back to the office and eating the dinner that my fiancé made sure I had I got on the phone and didn't get off of it until I left. I hate the phone."

"I know you do baby. Was all of that phone time worth it? Did you accomplish anything?"

"I did but of course it required a lot of groveling. I'm going to have to work late again tomorrow and probably Friday too and to add to it, I'm going to work on Saturday for a few hours so next week, when Nicky and Ronnie come back, we won't be over our heads."

"You're a good man."

"Not necessarily true. I'm just doing what anyone would do to keep their company running."

"It's more than that and you know it." Eddie sighed and stretched out on the couch, his head in Janet's lap. He turned his face up towards hers. She lowered her face until she was hovering right above his. The smile that crossed his face caused Janet's pulse to increase. She closed the distance and the two of them shared a long, slow, intense kiss. When they broke apart, Eddie turned his head towards the television and he placed a hand on her knee. Janet began to run her fingers through his damp hair. "Are you okay?" She asked softly.

"I'm sad. The commander was a great guy and I feel bad for Nick and Ronnie."

"It's okay for you to feel more Eddie. He was a constant presence in your life while you were growing up. From what you told me, you spent as much time at Nick's house as you did your own."

"I do feel more but really, I feel worse for Nick and Ronnie. I feel like there is something that I should do for them but I don't know what."

"You're doing it Eddie."

"Lying on the couch? How is that helping?"

"Not lying on the couch Eddie. Everything that you have done today and for the rest of the week at work; the phone calls, the rescheduling and all of the extra time that you will put in this week that will mean a lot to Nick and Ronnie."

"How?"

"Nick loves your business and Ronnie has a steady job because of it. You are making sure that the business still remains in good standing so when they come back, things will be normal and they are going to need normal." Eddie didn't say anything for awhile and Janet was starting to think he fell asleep.

"They're orphans." Eddie suddenly spoke. "Nicky and Ronnie are all alone in this world."

"They're not alone. Nick has Hannah and Sam. Ronnie has Aubrey and they both have you, Ikey and Phil."

"But they don't have their parents. God, I can't imagine not having my parents."

"I can't imagine what it would be like and I don't want to imagine it but remember, they are not alone and when the time comes that we lose our parents, we won't be alone either. We will always have each other."

"Thank God for that."

* * *

"Hey you're home." Janet greeted with a large, beautiful smile. She was happily surprised when she pulled into the driveway, opened the garage door and saw Eddie's truck parked in his space. During this week, they hadn't spent much time together between working long hours and being there for their friends.

"I'm home." Eddie waited until she took her coat off and then he hugged her and it wasn't a quick hug. They hugged each other tightly and for a few minutes. "I have missed you." He told her after they finally pulled apart with a kiss.

"Me too."

"That's what I was hoping you would say." Janet looked at him through squinted, confused eyes. He loved it when she got confused because she squinted her eyes and her nose involuntary scrunched up and it was adorable. "Go change."

"Wow. When did you become so bossy?" Eddie just grinned.

"We're going out."

"Can't we just stay in and chill on the couch?"

"I don't wanna chill on the couch. "

"But I want to. We could get in our jammies, order some food and cuddle on the couch." She ran her hand over her chest. She looked up at him and batted her eyes. "Don't you want to cuddle on the couch with me?"

"You know that I love to cuddle with you so let's make a deal. Let's go to Sully's eat and socialize for a bit then we will come home and cuddle."

"Do you promise some cuddle time?"

"There will most definitely be some cuddle time."

"Fine." She sighed giving up. As she passed him on the way to their bedroom, he smacked her butt.

"Hurry up."

"Bite me Latekka."

"Maybe later."

After Janet changed into more comfortable non-work clothes the two of them headed to Sully's. They grabbed a booth in the back. Janet slid into her seat and before she could even get comfortable Eddie was sliding in next to her, nudging her over with his hip. She felt like a silly teenager sharing the same side of the booth with her boyfriend with nobody on the opposite side. She was embarrassed and felt like everyone was staring at them but at the same time, she loved it. She once told Eddie that seeing couples sharing one side of a booth when they were alone annoyed her to no end. Apparently, Eddie remembered that conversation and he turned them into one of those couples and as it turned out, she wasn't annoyed since she was one of the guests in the booth.

"Where are we going?" Janet asked after they Sully's. She thought that they were on their way home but he wasn't pointing his truck in the right direction for that to happen.

"To the house that I worked on this morning."

"Uhh why? Did you forget something?"

"Maybe."

"How could you maybe have forgotten something?"

"I won't if I forgot it until I check for it now will I?"

"You're up to something." She accused and he glanced over at her and grinned. "I knew it."

"No you didn't."

"Yes I did."

"You didn't know until we weren't on the way home."

"So? I still knew it. So what do you have up your sleeve Mr. Latekka?"

"We put in storm windows today in a house in Downs Point and the owner has a yellow lab. She is a beautiful and so friendly. She had a litter of puppies about six weeks ago and they were all spoken for but while I was at the house the person who was going to buy one of the puppies called an backed out."

"Are you telling me you bought a puppy?"

"No. I would never buy a puppy without you but I told her that my fiancé and I were thinking about a puppy and asked if I could bring you buy to look at him."

"It's a boy?"

"Yeah and Janet he is so cute."

"I thought that we were going to wait until after the New Year?"

"And we can if you want but the New Year is only a few weeks away and I didn't commit to anything but looking. If you don't want him after we look, then we don't have to get him."

"We'll just look."

"Yep. Just look." When they decided to get a dog, they were still living in Janet's house so they decided to wait until they got a bigger house. Since they purchased their house so close to the beginning of the holiday's they decided that they would begin the search for the next member of their little family after the New Year.

"Eddie, come on in." Eddie took Janet's hand and they stepped inside the house together.

"Thanks for letting us stop by Mrs. Galloway. This is my fiancé Janet."

"Pleased to meet you Mrs. Galloway." Janet extended her hand and the two women shook hands.  
"Eddie, you remember my husband?"

"I do. How are you?"

"I'm good. The windows look great."

"I'm glad you approve."

"I do and I will be recommending you to anyone that needs windows."

"Much appreciated."

"Would you two like some coffee?" Mrs. Galloway asked.

"That's not necessary. We don't want to put you out." Janet answered.

"It's no trouble at all. I've got a pot already brewed. Honey, why don't you take them to the living room and bring the puppy out so Janet can meet him?" Mrs. Galloway asked/demanded of her husband. Mr. Galloway smiled and led Eddie and Janet to the living room.

"A tip from a man who has been married for a long time. Never question your wife. Just smile, nod and do as she suggests and you will have a long happy marriage." Janet giggled.

"I've started to realize that." Mr. Galloway laughed and went to get the dog.

"They are very nice." Janet commented when they were alone and Eddie nodded in agreement.

"Eddie dear, how do you and Janet take your coffee?" Eddie grinned and went into the kitchen to help Mrs. Galloway out with the coffee.

"Now here we go." Mr. Galloway walked into the living room holding a sleepy puppy in his hands. He placed the dog on Janet's lap.

"Hello there." Blue eyes looked up at her and she swore the dog smiled at her. He stood, unsteadily on his four legs and licked her face, causing her to giggle. "You really are cute." His tail was wagging as Janet ran her hand over his fur. Apparently he liked the compliment because he licked her face again.

When Eddie returned with the coffee with Mrs. Galloway and saw Janet and the puppy and saw the way that Janet was looking at the puppy he knew that they were going home with a puppy. He set their coffee cups down and sat beside her. Immediately the puppy moved from Janet's lap over to Eddie's.

"He is adorable." Janet told her hosts. The puppy must have realized that Janet was talking about him because he returned to her lap and licked her face.

"He likes you babe." Eddie said with a laugh.

"It looks that way."

Over the next hour Eddie and Janet sat on the Galloway's couch, getting to know the older couple, eating dessert and playing with the puppy that was coming home with them. As soon as the puppy was placed on her lap and he looked up at her, Janet was smitten with the little yellow ball of fur and there was no way that she could walk away from him.

"So are we taking this little guys home?" Eddie whispered softly when Mr. & Mrs. Galloway took the cups and plates to the kitchen.

"What do you think?" Janet asked grinning as she pet the dog that was sleeping on her lap.

"I knew you wouldn't be able to resist. I need the checkbook." Janet reached down and handed her purse to Eddie.

"Thank you for this; for him." Eddie lifted his head from her purse and smiled softly at her until the Galloway's returned, ruining the moment.

"So what do we owe you for this little man?" Eddie asked, checkbook in hand.

"Not a thing." Eddie and Janet both shook their heads. "Consider it a wedding gift."

"We couldn't possibly." Janet said.

"It's not an option." Mr. Galloway told them with a smile. "If you want him you will not pay for him."

"That's very generous." Janet knew there was no point in arguing.

"It's our pleasure."

"Thank you." Eddie said, standing to shake their hands.

Fifteen minutes later, Eddie, Janet and the unnamed puppy were on their way to the pet store to buy their little guy everything that he would need. "We're going need bowls for food and water, food, treats. He should get a treat every time he goes to the bathroom outside so he knows what a good boy he is because you are such a good boy aren't you?"

"Janet, I have had a dog before." She wasn't listening. She continued making the list. Eddie loved how excited she was.

"Toys, he needs toys Eddie along with a collar and leash. We should also get him a tag with his name on it so if he gets lost he will find his way home and a bed. We have to get him a bed."

"Before we can get him a name tag he should probably have a name hon."

"I know that so let's pick a name." That was a lot easier said than done. The two began tossing out possible names, followed by one disagreeing with the name the other suggested and this continued on throughout the shopping trip in the pet store. Shoppers around them smiled when they heard the couple arguing over their dog's name.

"Jasper." Eddie suggested. They were waiting to check out and he was flipping through the dog magazine that they were buying. One of the dog's names in the magazine was Jasper and Eddie thought it was great.

"You know, that's not half bad." Janet looked at the bundle in her arms. "What do you think about that? Are you Jasper?" The dog wagged his tail and licked Janet's face. "I guess that makes it official. You are Jasper." Eddie reached over and scratched him behind the ears.

"Hello there Jasper."

* * *

"He has had an exciting night." Janet and Eddie were home, on the couch cuddling with Jasper lying stretched out on both of their laps. His head on was on Janet's lap and his legs were on Eddie's lap.

"He's all tuckered out." Janet commented as she pet him. "Do you realize that tonight, we officially started our family?"

"Yeah I guess we did."

"I love our little family."

"So do I." Carefully, so he wouldn't disturb Jasper, Eddie leaned forward and kissed Janet softly until Jasper whined. He was being disturbed. Laughing the couple pulled apart. "You know, speaking of families, we are so screwed. "

"Why would you say that?"

"We had a hell of a time picking out Jasper's name. What's going to happen when we have to pick out the name of our child?"

"We ended up on agreeing on one and when it comes to a baby we will have months to pick the perfect name. We were under pressure tonight and maybe that was why we had a hard time agreeing on a name but it worked out didn't it? Jasper has the perfect name."

"Janet, how long to you want to wait after we are married to get pregnant?"

"I haven't really given it much thought. We aren't getting any younger."

"So like right away?"

"What do you want Eddie? It's not just my decision because we are both going to be parents together."

"But I'm not the one who will be pregnant."

"True but you should still have a say in it." Eddie considered this for a few minutes before speaking.

"You are right. We aren't getting any younger. I don't want to be sixty with a twenty year old."

"I agree with that but I want some time with just you before we add to us so how about if start trying after six months so if and that's a big if I get pregnant right away when we celebrate our first anniversary I will be only six months pregnant. I think that if we start any earlier then we take a risk that I will be nine months pregnant or delivering a baby on our anniversary and that just doesn't sound like the best way to celebrate our anniversary." Eddie was nodding his head.

"Six months. That sounds just about the right amount of time." Just then Jasper woke up.

"Do you wanna go out boy?" Jasper jumped off of the couch, stood in front of his new owners and wagged his tail. "I'll take that as a yes." Janet stood. "Come on." Like a good puppy he followed Janet to the back door. She opened the door and Jasper ran out into the back yard with Janet following behind him. She was grateful that they had a fenced in back yard because Jasper could run free and not be constricted by a leash which he takes full advantage of. Jasper, like any puppy, loves to do more running and playing outside then take the time to do his bathroom business.

"Is he chasing the invisible squirrel again?" Eddie had come outside on the deck with her. He wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and Janet leaned back into his embrace.

"He is." Every time they brought Jasper out he ran around like he was chasing something so it determined that he was chasing an invisible squirrel. '

"There is something that I need to tell you."

"Uh oh."

"No. No uh oh sweetheart." Eddie pushed Janet's long hair off of her neck and placed a few soft kisses on the newly exposed skin.

"Then what?"

"Do you have any idea how excited I am about our future together?"

"Yeah. I think that I have an idea." When he wasn't talking, Eddie was kissing her neck.

"Seriously babe, when I think about what the next few months and years holds for us I get so excited. I can't wait to marry you on the beach; to see you in your wedding dress. I can't wait to see you pregnant; feel our baby move inside of you; to see you holding our newborn child. Basically, I can't wait to see what to see what our future holds." Janet turned around and wrapped her arms around Eddie's neck.

"Every night I dream of our future together. I dream about our wedding and our child. My future has never looked so bright before. Two years ago, did I think that I would be where I am today? No I didn't but here we are starting our life together and I couldn't be happier. I really screwed up and if you…"

"No. I don't want to hear or talk about the past. Not when we are talking about our future."

"I love you so much. You know that right?" Janet told him tearfully.

"Yeah hon. I know." The two came together and kissed softly. "I love you too."

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For making me so happy."

"Always. I am always going to make you happy." The couple joined again, because the first kiss wasn't long enough. They stood outside, in the cold with snow falling around them kissing until Jasper started barking at their feet.


	31. Chapter 31

"Janet, you did a fantastic job." Alan Newman, the manager of The Johnson Inn told her. They were in the midst of the staff Christmas Party that Janet had planned from beginning to end.

"Thank you Alan. I am glad you approve."

"I was going to put this with your paycheck but I thought that now would be the most appropriate time for your Christmas bonus since we are at our Christmas party. " Alan handed Janet an envelope. "Janet you work very hard. You have made The Johnson Inn a better place. You deserve every penny of that bonus."

"Thank you." As her boss walked away Janet opened the envelope and pulled out and gasped.

"This has to be a mistake." Janet mumbled. She quickly came to her senses and walked over to her boss.

"Alan, do you have a minute?" Alan excused himself and he and Janet went into his office. "I appreciate this check, more than you realize but it is too much. It must be a mistake."

"It's no mistake Janet. Your hard work has been a big part of the increased business that we have seen. Like I said you earned every penny of that."

"I just…thank you."

"You are very welcome. Now since we are alone there is something that I need to discuss with you." Janet nodded. "Are you familiar with The Harbor Inn?"

"I've heard of it. It's over in Lexington right?" Lexington was a town about an hour north of The Ridge.

"Yep. That's right. There manager is leaving and he has heard about all of the good work you have done here and The Harbor Inn has sent a job offer your way. They want you to come and run it; turn it around like you have done here."

"Wow. I did not see that coming."

"Yeah." Alan nodded sadly. "Neither did I." Alan Newman was convinced that he was going to lose his best employee. He pulled the offer for Janet's employment, which was spectacular, off of his desk and handed it to her. He knew as soon as she read it, she would agree to it because the offer was that great.

"This is unbelievable." Janet whispered.

"It really is."

Janet handed the fax back to Alan. "But I am not going to take it. Can you call them and let them know that I appreciate the offer but I respectfully decline."

"Janet…"

"I'm happy here. I love my job but more importantly, Knights Ridge is my home. My fiancé's business is here and so is my family and friends. I have no desire to leave."

"You haven't even thought about it."

"I don't need to think about it."

"I don't want to lose you Janet and I can't tell you how happy I am that you turned down the offer. I know that you said that you don't need to think about it but I want you to take a few days to think about it. You don't necessarily have to move. An hour isn't a very long commute."

"It is in the winter."

"Take some time, think it over, talk with Eddie and let me know in a few days if your decision has changed. "

"It won't but I will do as you asked."

Once Janet returned to the party the dinner was done and the festivities were really beginning. There was a gift exchange that Janet had organized which everyone loved. At the beginning of the evening everyone was given was number. When the gift exchange began the numbers came into play. The person with number one was the first person to pick a gift from the gift table. As every number was called the owner of that number could take a gift from the table or steal someone else's gift. The gift exchange took over an hour and everyone was happy with their gifts but the most important thing was everyone had fun.

After the gifts were opened the music began and the fun continued. Janet moved around the room, making sure everyone was enjoying themselves and it seemed like they were. Janet had put a lot of hard work into this party and her hard work had paid off. It was great to see all of her hard working employees having fun.

The only damper on the evening was the fact the Eddie wasn't there. He and Nick had to work late…again. During the past few weeks, actually since the commander's death Best Friend Windows has been busy which led to lots of nights that Janet was home alone. She understood that he needed to work but she did miss him. He told her that he was going to do his best to make it but the night was almost over and he hasn't made an appearance.

"Hey Janet. Would you like to dance?" Steve, the chef who once asked her out, asked her.

"I would love to."

* * *

Eddie walked into The Johnson Inn and went directly to the smaller of the two banquet rooms where the Christmas party was being held. The party was scheduled to end at eleven and it was now ten. He planned to get there earlier but once he got home, he sat on the couch before his shower and dozed off. He woke up a little after nine, showered, shaved and rushed over. He felt horrible about being this late. He knew that Janet really wanted him there and she was probably going to be mad and he really couldn't blame her.

He walked into the banquet room and froze when his eyes landed on Janet. She was on the dance floor, smiling, having a good ol' time without him. She was having a good ol' time with that chump chef Steve who had asked her out when they were broken up. As he stared at them on the dance floor he felt a wave of jealousy, one like he had never felt before rising in his blood. As calmly as he could, he walked onto the dance floor over to Janet and Steve.

"You're dancing with my fiancé." Eddie practically growled and Steve immediately dropped his hands and took a step back.

"Look I didn't mean…you weren't here and I uhh…"

"I'm here know so if you don't mind?" Steve started to step away but Janet reached out and grabbed him.

"I mind." Janet said, glaring at Eddie. "Steve we are going to finish this dance." Janet turned back to Steve.

"Janet I don't mind…"

"I want to finish this dance with you. Eddie was just heading to the bar for a drink." Eddie knew he had no choice. He turned and went to the bar. "I'm sorry about him." Janet apologized once Eddie left.

"It's okay. I can't blame the guy."

"That's sweet but he shouldn't have been so rude." Janet smiled at him. "So tell me more about Mary."

After the song ended Janet apologized to Steve for Eddie again and he assured that it was cool. She thanked him for the dance and then went to the bar to retrieve Eddie. She walked up to him and kissed his cheek. "We need to talk now. Follow me." She whispered in his ear. With a smile, she took his hand and led him to her office. Once her door was closed she laid into him.

"What in the hell was that?" She wanted to yell but instead she spoke in a calm tone.

"I wanted to dance with you." He answered with a shrug.

"If that's the case then you didn't have to be so damn rude. I work with these people Eddie and most of them witnessed you acting like a buffoon and know they all probably think that I am marrying a giant ass."

"I'm sure they don't think that." Janet shook her head.

"Why are you so late?"

"I fell asleep." It sounded lame to Eddie's ears and Janet rolled her eyes.

"Do you feel better since you had a nap?"

"I'm sorry."

"Just go home Eddie." Janet said with a sigh.

"Huh?"

"You obviously don't want to be here so just go home."

"Fine." Janet was surprised that he didn't put up more of a fight. Eddie walked over and distractedly kissed her goodbye. "I'll see you at home." Tears filled Janet's eyes as Eddie walked out of her office.

* * *

"Well I was a big giant jerk." Jasper looked up at Eddie. The two of them were at home, chilling out on the couch. "We have hardly spent any time together and tonight, we finally had a chance to be together; have an evening out and I blew it. I fell asleep and then when I did show up I acted like a buffoon as Janet put it and you know what? She was right. I was a total buffoon." Jasper barked and Eddie assumed it was in agreement. "I've been working like a crazy man. Janet has been working like a crazy woman since every business in The Ridge wants to have their holiday bash at The Johnson Inn. I feel like I have hardly seen her and I miss her." Eddie scratched behind Jasper's ears.

"I miss you too Eddie." He looked up in surprise. He never heard her come in. "You left the garage door open."

"I'm glad you are home. Can we talk?" Janet slipped off her shoes.

"Can we do it tomorrow? I'm exhausted and unlike you, I didn't get a nap today." She had worked all day and then had the party afterwards. "I work days tomorrow and will be home tomorrow night. Will you be?"

"I'll make sure I am." Janet walked over, leaned down, giving Eddie a delicious view of her cleavage, reminding him that it's been too long since they made love.

"I am irritated as hell with you right now, but I do love you." She pressed her lips to his and they shared a slow kiss. "Good night Eddie." She kissed the top of Jasper's head. "Good night little man."

"Good night. I love you too." Eddie whispered as Janet went to their bedroom. "Come on Jasper. Let's go out." Jasper jumped off of the couch and ran to the door. "I'll take that as a yes." Eddie grabbed his coat and let Jasper out. While he was standing outside, waiting for Jasper to take care of his business he decided that he couldn't and wouldn't wait until the next day to talk. They were going to talk tonight. "Come on Jasper." Eddie called and Jasper immediately ran inside. Eddie gave him a treat, told him goodnight and shut the gate. Since he was still a puppy and was in to everything and not quite potty trained he had a bed in the kitchen where there was nothing he could get into and if he had an accident it was easy to clean up. He whined the first couple of days but now, he was used to it.

"What the hell?" Janet groaned when Eddie turned on the bedroom lights.

"I don't want to wait until tomorrow night to talk. I want to talk now."

"Eddie." Janet whined.

"Don't Eddie me." He climbed into bed next to her. "I know that you are tired but I can't go to sleep with us like this." Sighing, Janet sat up.

"Fine."

"Okay then. First of all, I was a total ass tonight and for that I'm sorry. When I saw you and Steve dancing, I became so jealous I couldn't stand it."

"I am flattered that you were jealous but why on earth would you be?"

"He asked you out Janet and the guy probably still has the hots for you. He saw that I wasn't at the party so he decided to make his move."

"You are being ridiculous. Everyone knows that I love you and only you. I am marrying you in a couple of months. No one else has a chance with me."

"I don't like you being around guys who have asked you out."

"There are so many things wrong with that statement. First of all you sound like a caveman. You have told me over and over again that I am beautiful. Are you the only one allowed to think it because if it's true, like you say it is then why won't other men see that as well?"

"It is true baby. It's so true."

"Then you don't trust me." Janet stated.

"Whaaa?" Eddie was shocked. "I do trust you."

"Do you because if you don't, now would be the time to tell me because if you are having trust issues then we shouldn't be getting married."

"Please Janet. Don't say that."

"Am I wrong?"

"Yes. I trust you. It's those other jerks that I don't trust."

"If you trust me than who cares about the other guys. If some guy hits on me, then if you trust me then you should know that I would never engage."

"I just don't like guys that have asked you out hanging around with you. " He mumbled.

"How do you think I feel everyday Eddie? There is always some girl around that you have dated or slept with. Hell, I work with two girls that have slept with you."

"If I could change the past, I would."

"I don't want you to change the past. I knew your history when we started dating and for your information, Steve was telling me about the girl that he had been seeing."

"Oh."

"Oh is right. You stormed over to Steve and I, acting like a caveman and I was your possession. I may be engaged to you but I am not your possession and I will not be treated like one." Eddie was silent for a minute before he finally admitted what had really set him off.

"I came home and I was so tired and I sat on the couch, only to relax for a minute. I closed my eyes and the next thing I knew, it was after nine. I knew that you wanted me there and I wanted to be there and I let you down. When I walked in and saw you two dancing and I was pissed off but I was pissed off at myself. I should have been there dancing with you."

"Yes you should have. We have both been working so hard lately all I wanted was to spend one night with you."

"We are having this conversation because of our work schedules."

"Eddie, I can't keep doing this. My busy time of year is over the holidays. As soon as the New Year's Eve party is over then my schedule will be back to normal but your schedule, when will it return to normal? Besides that fact that we aren't getting any time together Jasper isn't getting enough time with us." Thankfully, Nick, Hannah and Sam lived a few streets away and Sam has been coming over every day to let Jasper out and play with him for an hour or so.

"Nick and I have been talking about it."

"Talk all you want. Talk isn't going to change the fact that you have been working twelve hour days and every weekend."

"We are taking steps. We know that we have to hire more people. That's a given. Hannah is due to pop that baby soon and Nick will need to be with her. We hired Owen as our business manager and right now he is making a business plan so we know how many people we can afford to hire and how much we can pay them. He is looking into finding the best insurance plans for us and he is working on an employee handbook for us."

"That's something."

"Look babe, Nick and I know that we can't keep working like this. We are so tired and we can end up hurting ourselves or something else and most importantly we aren't with our families. Because of our jobs, we have lost time with you, Hannah and Sam that we will never get back."

"Starting the first of the year, our schedule isn't so hectic. We have only scheduled what we can feasibly do. Once we start hiring more guys then we will schedule more jobs." Eddie wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her next to him. "I guess we got carried away. We struggled getting jobs at first but now, they are pouring in and we want to please everyone and we have over-extending ourselves."

"I hate this Eddie. I miss you so much. Lately, we only see each other for maybe an hour a day and then for a few minutes in the morning as we are getting ready for work. We haven't made love in awhile and I can't keep living like this. We have to change it."

"And we are going to. I hate living like this too babe. I miss you so much that it hurts and I really hate that we haven't made love." Eddie turned to face Janet with a toothless grin. "How about we rectify that last oversight?" He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"Sorry dude. No can do."

"Is it that time?" Janet nodded against his chest.

"Well that just sucks."

"That's life." She mumbled in her adorable sleepy voice.

"I'm sorry that I was such a jerk today. I'm sorry for ruining your night."

'It wasn't totally ruined. There were some good things that happened?"

"Like what?"

"Can we talk about that tomorrow? I'm dying here."

"Sure honey. You sleep." Eddie pulled his arm off of Janet and while he turned off the light she snuggled beneath the blankets. In the dark, Eddie stripped down to his boxers and climbed in bed next to her, pulling her close to him so he could spoon with her. He kissed her head softly. "I love you Janet, more than you will ever know."

"Love you too." She snuggled against his warm body and was asleep within minutes.

* * *

"Come in." Janet's office door opened and Eddie stepped in. She looked up and smiled brightly. She was not expecting him. "Hey you." She stood and the two of them hugged tightly. "What are you doing here?"

"Are you complaining?"

"Not at all." Janet lifted her head and they kissed quickly. "I am glad you are here."

"I am here for three reasons. The first reason is I need to apologize to Steve."

"I like that idea."

"The second reason is I want to spend time with you and I was hoping that you would be available for lunch."

"I am."

"And the final reason is that I am anxious about the good things that happened during the party and I can't wait until tonight."

"Okay. You go back to the kitchen and give a sincere apology…"

"Hey I am always sincere!"

"Yeah. Not so much." Eddie pouted and Janet grinned. "While you are apologizing, I will order our lunch and we can talk in here; in private."

"Sounds good." They walked out of Janet's office and each took care of what needed to be taken care of and they met back in her office a few minutes later.

"Well? How did it go?" Janet asked as Eddie settled himself into a chair.

"Good. Steve is a really nice guy who made it perfectly clear that he has no romantic interest in you."

"Told you."

"What did you order me for lunch?"

"You'll just have to wait and see."

"So while we wait, tell me about the good stuff that happened last night." Janet reached into her desk, pulled out her job offer and passed it to him. He took a couple of minutes and read over it. "Wow Janet. This is an amazing offer."

"Yeah it is, isn't it?" She said proudly.

"Are you going to take it?"

"No I'm not." Eddie looked at her in surprise.

"Why not? This is a great opportunity Janet."

"You're right. It is a great opportunity but with better opportunity comes more responsibility and work. Now I am not against hard work at all but Eddie, this place is an hour away on a good day. Can you imagine the winter commute? Lately we have been struggling with working too much and not spending enough time with each other and I think an hour commute, each way would add strain and I have been thinking about our future. When we have a baby there will be times when you are working out of town and I don't want to be an hour away from our child, especially if there is an emergency."

"Are you sure hon because if this is something that you want we will figure something out?"

"I'm sure. I love my job here and I don't have any desire to leave."

"If you change your mind I will support you."

"I know you will." They leaned across her desk and kissed softly.

"Even though you aren't taking the job, I am really, really proud of you Janet."

"Thank you baby. Now here is the best part of the party." Janet reached into her purse, pulled her Christmas bonus and handed it to Eddie who slowly opened it. When he saw the amount his eyes grew wide.

"What is this?"

"My Christmas bonus."

"Seriously?" Janet nodded. "Holy crap. That is one hell of a bonus."

"Tell me about it. I thought it was a mistake; that maybe he entered an extra zero on the check but it's no mistake."

"What do you want to do with it?"

"I thought that we could just put it in our savings for a rainy day or an emergency."

"Babe, it's your money. You should have fun with it."

"What is mine is ours and I would rather have a money cushion."

"If that's what you want then I am game." Eddie handed the check back to Janet. "Congrats sweetheart. You earned it." Suddenly a grin that represented pure rottenness crossed his face. "Do you think that we could go hide out in one of those rooms and make out for awhile?"

"I don't think so Latekka."

"Come on. Everybody has nooners."

"Not at their place of employment."

"Oh yes they do."

"Not happening."

A few minutes later, a waitress brought their lunch to Janet's office. Eddie was thrilled with the bacon cheeseburger that Janet ordered for him. During their lunch, they fell into comfortable conversation and they realized how much they had missed being together. When she could put off work no longer, Eddie had to leave, something he did not want to do.

"Janet, this was really nice." He told her softly once they broke apart from kissing goodbye.

"It was. Let's not let our jobs get in the way of us anymore."

"Deal."

* * *

Over the next few days, the couple spent a little more time together but not nearly as much as they would like. Eddie was still working a lot since they would be closed Christmas Eve and Christmas day and there were still a lot of holiday parties going on The Johnson Inn which kept Janet busy. They were looking forward to Christmas day and the few days afterwards because even though Janet was on call in case of an emergency she was considering it a day off and Eddie wasn't working either since Christmas fell on a Friday so they both had days off; something they both desperately required.

On Christmas Eve, Janet worked a half of day and then she met Eddie at home and they went to her parent's house to celebrate Christmas with her parents, Jason, Lillian, and the boys which left Christmas Day open to spend half of it with each other and the other half with Eddie's family.

Christmas Eve with the Meadows was fun. Eddie was now a part of the family, whether he liked it or not. They enjoyed a nice, hearty and delicious meal filled with lots of laughter. After dinner was cleaned up Eddie, Patrick and Jason sat down for a game of poker that Eddie lost everything he put in while the girls enjoyed a cup of coffee. Finally when Tommy and Charlie couldn't stand it any longer, they all gathered around the Christmas tree to open gifts.

Eddie got some tools for household repairs that he had requested in passing when they moved into their house and he loved them. He couldn't wait for something to break so he could use his tools to fix whatever was broken. Janet got an E-book reader and some gift cards to buy herself some books. The funniest gift that she got was golf lessons from Lillian and Jason. They knew that Eddie enjoyed golfing and they wanted to golf with him and Janet but they also heard what a bad golfer she was hence the lessons. Janet agreed to the lessons but made no promises that lessons would help her. She was convinced that there was no hope for her.

At six thirty in the morning on Christmas day, the phone in Eddie and Janet's bedroom rang. They were still asleep in each other's arms. They both groaned and since the phone was on Janet's side of the bed, she rolled over to answer it.

"Hello?" She mumbled her voice thick with sleep. The conversation was short and to the point. The front desk clerk at The Johnson Inn who was supposed to come in relieve the overnight clerk was calling off work. Actually, her husband was calling her off. He was with her in the emergency room because of food poisoning which meant that Janet was going to have to go in and cover her shift. After hanging up, she called work and let the clerk know that she would be there as soon as possible and then she climbed out of her warm bed.

"What's going on?" Eddie asked, waking up.

"I have to work. Kelly has food poisoning."

"It's Christmas Janet." She spun her head around with a glare on her face and tears in her eyes.

"Yes Eddie I am well aware that it is Christmas."

"Can't you call someone else in?"

"Don't you think I would if I could?" Her tears began to fall. The last place she wanted to be on Christmas Day was at work and away from her fiancé but she had no choice and Eddie was making her feel like crap about it. "I don't have a choice Eddie. It's my job and I have no choice. Now I would appreciate it if you wouldn't make it so hard for me." She turned away from him and into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.

From the bed he heard Janet crying in the bathroom and he felt like total crap. He was feeling especially selfish and wanted her home with him on Christmas. He knew she didn't have a choice and even if she did have a choice, she would rather go in herself and work then pull someone else in and away from their family because that's the kind of woman she is. She is selfless and that is one reason he loves her so much.

When Janet came out of the bedroom forty five minutes later, her jeep had been cleared of the snow that had fallen the night before and was warming up. Coffee was brewed and poured into her travel mug. A bagel had been cut and spread with cream cheese. Even with all of these nice gestures, Janet was still upset.

"I'm sorry that I gave you a hard time." Eddie told her as he helped her into her coat.

"Whatever."

"This just sucks. It's Christmas and we should be together."

"Thanks for your support. Thanks for making this so easy for me Eddie." Janet grabbed her purse. "Merry Christmas to us." She snapped before storming out the door, leaving Eddie holding the coffee and bagel.

"Eddie, why can't you learn to leave well enough alone?" He said out loud to himself and Jasper. With a loud sigh he went and sat down at the computer. He just set the coffee down when Jasper jumped on his lap. "Oh Jasper, you won't be able to do this much longer. You'll be too big." Eddie scratched him behind the ears. "I upset your mom because I am a selfish bastard. Because I wanted to spend the day with her I gave her crap about doing the right thing I've got to fix this and I think that I know just what to do. Mommy and I need some mommy and daddy time. What do you think big guy?" Jasper barked. "Well I hope you're right." He took a bite of the bagel, a swig of the coffee he made for Janet, started up the internet and began to search.


	32. Chapter 32

By the time that Janet stopped at the stop sign at the end of their street she was crying. She was so mean and treated Eddie horribly. She couldn't go to work leaving things how she left them. She made a left turn, went around the block and pulled back into the driveway. She walked back into the house and Eddie looked up in surprise.

"Janet…honey?" Eddie gently pushed Jasper off of his lap and went to Janet. "Why are you crying? Are you okay?" Janet wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her head in the crook of his shoulder.

"I was so nasty to you. You were sweet. You made me coffee, a bagel and warmed my car and I was so mean to you; something you didn't deserve."

"Janet…"

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Janet was crying hard and Eddie was suddenly worried. This was more than a normal mood swing. He led her over to the couch.

"Janet, baby, what's wrong?" He cradled her in his arms and ran his fingers through her curls. After a few minutes, she calmed down and looked at Eddie with red, swollen eyes along with a few stray tears falling from her blue eyes.

"I'm such a basket case. I wonder why you put up with me."

"What in the hell is going on?" Janet was silent a minute before answering him.

"Today is Christmas."

"Yes it is."

"Today…today was the day our baby was supposed to be born." Eddie looked at Janet in shock.

"What? I…I didn't know." Eddie felt tears filling his eyes.

"Right before I had my D & C to have our baby taken out of me I asked the doctor when it would have been born he calculated that he or she would have been due…today." The two of them held each other for a few minutes, shedding silent tears while thinking of their lost child.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He finally asked.

"After it happened there was so much going on and honestly, I didn't want to think about it and eventually, I didn't think about it until recently. I thought that I had it under control and I was going to tell you today but then I got the phone call to go in to work and I guess I am just more emotional than I thought."

"I wish you would have told me."

"I know I should have. After the miscarriage things were going so well for us and the due date of the child we lost before we knew about it just never came up in casual conversation."

"Well this is turning out to be one hell of a Christmas."

"Do you ever feel like the universe is against us?" Janet whispered against his chest.

"No. How can the universe possibly be against us? We have each other. What else is there?"

"We have lost a baby and lately we have hardly seen each other and we haven't made love in weeks. What's next? Will there be a hurricane during our wedding?"

"A little wind will not keep me from marrying the woman of my dreams." Janet did not smile.

"A hurricane is more than a little wind Eddie."

"You can't always think the worse is going to happen to us. Whatever happens, whether it's a hurricane or a ruined dress…"

"Don't you dare say that!"

"We will be married for the rest of our lives."

"Do you promise?"

"Yeah baby. I promise." Janet reached out and cupped his cheek.

"I am sorry I am such a wreck today. I'm sorry that I was a bitch this morning. I'm sorry that I ruined Christmas." Eddie placed his hand over hers and kissed her softly.

"You have nothing to be sorry for." They looked into each other's eyes and saw love.

"I've got to get to work and I'm going to have to fix my makeup."

"You don't need to fix anything. You are perfect just the way you are."

"You're sweet and biased. I'm going to scare the guests." After another quick kiss, Janet reluctantly left the couch and went to reapply her makeup.

"Are you ready?" When Janet came out of the bathroom, looking beautiful she was surprised to see Eddie dressed and wearing his boots and coat.

"Where are you going?" She asked.

"I've decided to take you to work."

"You don't have to."

"I want to." Eddie swung an arm around her shoulders. "Come on babe. Let's get you to work."

The ride to The Johnson Inn was silence but it wasn't an uncomfortable silence. They were both just lost in their own thoughts of the joy that could have been experienced on this day. "Are you going to be okay?" Eddie asked as he was idling in front of The Johnson Inn. He lifted their hands that were linked and kissed hers softly.

"Yeah. I'll be fine."

"If you need to talk call me okay?"

"I will." They leaned towards each other and shared a long, slow kiss.

"I gotta go." Janet mumbled, pulling away.

"I know." Janet opened the door and got out. "I love you sweetheart."

"I love you too."

* * *

At ten minutes after four Eddie was sitting in his idling truck waiting for Janet. After a few hours Eddie finally found somewhere for them to hide out for the next few days. He didn't want them to stay in a big fancy hotel. Thanks to the internet, he found some places that met his standards but they were closed because it was Christmas day and he wanted to start their getaway today. Eventually he clicked the right link and found a small Bed and Breakfast right outside of Rhode Island that was open today and accepted his reservation. He made arrangements with his parents to watch Jasper for the next few days and then he packed up all of Jasper's necessities, their Christmas gifts for each other and a suitcase full of clothes and all of Janet's girly items. He just hoped that he didn't forget anything.

"Merry Christmas sweetheart." Eddie greeted as Janet climbed into the truck. Looking into her eyes he saw a sadness there that probably matched his own and he knew he had made the right choice to get away for a few days. They needed it now, more than ever.

"Merry Christmas." After kissing hello, Eddie put the truck in drive and made his way to his parents.

"How was work?"

"Slow. Very slow which allowed me to play with my new book."

"Do you like it?"

"I love it. I can't wait to curl up on the couch and read."

"I think of better things to do on the couch." Janet giggled.

"I'm sure you can."

"Are you hungry? Mom has got a huge spread ready for us."

"Starved. How upset were they that we had to push back Christmas?"

"Babe, you know my parents. They go with the flow. It's all good honey."

"I feel so bad. Everybody had to put their Christmas on hold because of me."

"Honey, it's okay. Really." Janet nodded slowly. "How are you?"

"I'm okay. I'm sad but I am trying to put it in the back of my mind so I can enjoy Christmas. What about you?"

"The same as you. When I was home by myself I couldn't stop thinking about what today would have been. There wouldn't have been a better present then our baby. It got to be too much so I went over and hung out with mom and dad. They are always good for a distraction."

"I'm sorry that I couldn't give you our baby."

"Honey, it's not your fault. You did nothing wrong. Our baby was just not meant to be."

"I know but it's hard to accept that. I was its mother and I feel that I should have known. I shouldn't have found out about our baby after it was already dead."

"I wish that we would have known too." The remainder of the ride was silent.

"Merry Christmas Janet." Max shouted as Janet got out of the truck.

"Merry Christmas Max." Eddie came around the truck, took her hand and together they walked up the walk and that's when Janet heard a familiar bark. "Is that Jasper?"

"Yep. He wanted to come and visit his grandparents and Uncle Max." Eddie told her.

"Hi Janet." Max engulfed Janet in a bear hug. When he finally let her go, Janet picked up the excited puppy that immediately began to lick her face.

"Move it Max." Judee demanded. "Let them come in and get their coats off." Since Janet was holding Jasper, Eddie helped Janet off with her coat and then Judee hugged her future daughter in law with Mitch following suit.

"All right. Can we eat? I'm starving and I have smelled this food for hours." Mitch asked.

"I'm sorry about that." Janet told him and Mitch grinned.

"Don't feel bad kitten. I've been snacking all afternoon."

"I knew it." Judee said with a laugh.

"Eddie and Max were sneaking food too."

"Really dad? You're going to throw us under the bus with you?"

"If I'm going down, so are you two."

"Go sit down before there is a riot." The three boys made their way to the dining room with Judee, Jasper and Janet trailing behind. "How are you Janet?"

"I've had better days. Eddie told you?"

"He did and only because he knows that I have been through it."

"I don't mind that he told you. I just didn't want to put a damper on your Christmas."

"We are family Janet and if you are hurting I want to know."

"That means a lot Judee. Thank you."

"I had four miscarriages and I still know every due date. The first few years will be hard but eventually this day will come and it won't hurt as much. You'll be watching your child or children opening their Christmas gifts and your lost baby will cross your mind and you'll be sad for a minute or two but then you'll smile and know that everything is exactly as it should be. "

"It just sucks that my due date just happens to be on Christmas."

"But it may be a good thing as well because Christmas is a magical day and you'll be able to build wonderful memories that will overpower your sadness."

"I hope so."

"Look at that table Janet." They were standing in the dining room entrance. Janet looked at the table and saw Eddie, Mitch and Max, talking and laughing. "Those are my boys. Max and Eddie and I can't imagine my life without either of them. Sure, there was a lot of heartache along the way but if I could change that heartache then I wouldn't have the family I was destined to have." At that exact moment Max burped extremely loud followed by laughter from Mitch and Eddie which encouraged Max to burp again. "See, I wouldn't have this." The two women laughed.

"Lucky you." Janet joked but Judee made her feel better.

The family enjoyed a lively and fun dinner that included lots of laughter, a given whenever they were together. After dinner, Eddie and Janet did the dishes with Max helping because he was so anxious to open his Christmas presents. Once the dishes were done, the adults enjoyed a glass of wine in the living room while Max showed Janet his Christmas presents in great deal. Judee, Mitch and Eddie had been through this before and they listened patiently while Janet "ohhed" and "ahhed" at the appropriate times.

After incessant bugging from Max the adults finally agreed that it was time to open gifts before Max went crazy. Since Max was as bad as a child he was the first one that opened his gifts from Eddie and Janet. They got him a few CD's, a new video game and his favorite gift was the new collectors book for his baseball card and the best part of the book was a signed card in the front of the book from one of Max's favorite Red Sox player's that Eddie bought on E-bay. Max was in heaven. He was so excited showed his appreciation to them with giant bear hugs.

The young couple got Mitch and Judee a night out in Boston. They had mentioned that they wanted to see an opera that was coming to town that they both wanted to see so Eddie and Janet bought them the tickets, a gift card for dinner and using her hotel employee's discount, Janet booked a room at a discounted rate at a lovely inn right outside of Boston and during that weekend, Max would be staying with Eddie and Janet. Mitch and Judee loved it.

It is a well known fact in the Latekka family that Judee is a great bargain shopper and this Christmas, Janet and Eddie were on the receiving end of her great shopping skills. Janet got a set of pots and pans that she had been dreaming of. Eddie was like a little boy who had just opened a toy truck when he opened the grill. They had a grill but it was small and old so this one was a definite improvement and he was thrilled. He couldn't wait to put it together and fire it up. He could just taste the grilled steak and his mouth watered.

* * *

"Are you ready babe?" Eddie asked after they had finished dessert. He could see that Janet was tired.

"Yeah. I am." Eddie went and got their coats.

"Why don't you take you take our gifts out to your truck while I get Jasper's things together?" Janet suggested to Eddie as he helped her into her coat.

"Didn't I tell you? Jasper asked to stay the night."

"He did huh?"

"He did."

"Eddie we can't just leave our dog here."

"Yes we can."

"Yes you can." Judee told her. "Max has been dying for a dog since you guys got Jasper so maybe a night with Jasper, will ease his desire a bit, especially if I make him take him out. It will give him a taste of dog responsibility and then maybe he won't want one."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely. You and Eddie enjoy a nice, puppy free evening." Judee kissed Janet. "Merry Christmas honey."

"Merry Christmas." Eddie and Janet said goodbye and may their way out into the cold, into his truck.

"I'm going to miss Jasper." Janet commented as Eddie pulled out of his parent's driveway.

"I'm gonna miss the little guy too but I am sure that we will come up with something to keep our minds off of our sadness."

"You think? What exactly do you have in mind Mr. Latekka?"

"You'll just have to wait and see Miss. Meadows." Eddie turned left at the end of his parent's street instead of right.

"Umm baby, I know that you have other things on your mind but have you forgotten the way home?"

"We're not going home."

"Excuse me?"

"We need to get away."

"We do?"

"We've had a rough few months and not a lot of time together so this weekend we are going to rectify that oversight."

"Can we afford this? We could just stay at home, alone and together."

"That won't happen. Sure for awhile we would be together, making love and cuddling for a few hours, maybe even a day but we'll be at home and find things beside each other to do." Eddie laughed at his own joke. "The house will need cleaned, laundry will need laundered, dishes will need to be washed and we will get back into the routine of life and we don't need routine. We need each other and only each other."

"You're right and I think that it's the perfect idea."

"I thought so too."

"There is one small problem with this plan."

"Nope. I have thought of everything."

"No you didn't. I have nothing but the clothes on my back. No clean clothes, toothbrush, deodorant and no razor. Sex with prickly legs is never pleasant for anyone."

"Look behind you." Eddie said with a cocky grin. Janet twisted her body to look in the back seat and saw a suitcase and their Christmas gifts in a bag.

"You packed for me?"

"Yep and I even remembered your razor because I do enjoy sex when your legs are smooth."

"You picked out my clothes?"

"I did even though I don't plan for you to be wearing any."

"I'm a little nervous about what you picked out for me to wear."

"Hey." Eddie pretended to be insulted. "I have great fashion sense."

"Sure you do baby. You just keep telling yourself that."

"It's not hard to find a shirt to go with a pair of jeans."

"What about shoes?"

"That may have tripped me up a bit. I threw in a couple of pairs that will hopefully get your approval but like I said I don't plan on you wearing any clothes so the shoes won't be an issue."

"I have the best fiancé in the world." Janet unbuckled her seatbelt and slid over next to Eddie and kissed his cheek.

"That's all I get?"

"As long as you are driving yes. When we get to our destination I will show my appreciation and speaking of our destination where are we going?" Janet started to return to her seat.

"Stay next to me." He let one of his hands drop from the steering wheel and wrapped that arm around Janet. She laid her head against him and relaxed against him. "This is nice."

"Where are we going Eddie?"

"I found a Bed & Breakfast about thirty minutes outside of Rhode Island. My plan, which is non-negotiable, is tomorrow we will spend the entire day in our room, on our bed making love, talking, maybe watching some television, and just being together. On Saturday we will check out the shops cause I know it's what you want to do and when you are shopped out there is a ski resort that we are going to."

"I don't ski Eddie and as far as I know, you don't either."

"No but I do like to ride down a hill on an inner-tube."

"That sounds like fun as long as I get to hold on to you."

"Really? I thought that I would get more of a fight from you."

"Nope. You said this weekend is about us. I like to shop and you don't but you're willing to go shopping. You like to fly down a hill in nothing but an inner-tube and I don't but I'm willing to hold on to you. It's what people in love do for each other." Eddie grinned.

"And then finally after we check out on Sunday we will end our getaway by taking Grams to lunch since her nursing home isn't far away from where we are staying."

"Really?"

"Yeah babe. Really." Eddie came to a stop at a red light and Janet took that opportunity to turn her body and give him a gratitude kiss until horns were beeping behind him.

"I am the luckiest girl in the world. I love you so much."

"I love you too sweetheart. Now why don't you relax until we get there? I took a nap at mom and dad's house today so I've got lots of energy and I don't want you conking out on me early." Janet didn't argue. She snuggled against Eddie and was asleep in fifteen minutes.

Occasionally, Eddie would take his eyes off of the road to glance over at the woman sleeping against him and his heart filled with happiness. He was so in love with her it was ridiculous and all he wanted to do was love her and make her happy. All Eddie wanted from this weekend was to make her happy and right now, she seemed happy. Did he really want to go shopping with her? Absolutely not but the woman in his arms did so he would go with a smile because it would make her happy and that's all he wanted. He wanted Janet to be happy and loved and he was the man for the job.


	33. Chapter 33

Eddie leaned down and placed a soft kiss on Janet's forehead and she simply sighed and snuggled closer to his body. Grinning because there was no other option to wake her up he leaned over, kissed her lips and Janet responded to his kiss immediately. Eddie cupped her face while Janet ran her fingers through his short hair. They kissed until they couldn't breathe, reluctantly pulling apart to get some air into their lungs.

"You were awake when I kissed your head weren't you?" Eddie asked with a grin when he finally got his breath back.

"Of course not." Janet said batting her eyes innocently. "I never felt you kiss my head. "

"What a load of crap. I never said that I kissed your head. You took advantage of me."

"I did no such thing." Janet could keep the grin off of her face. "I would never take advantage of you."

"Yes you did. You suckered a kiss out of me."

"I didn't know that I had to sucker kisses from you."

"Never baby. I will always kiss you willingly."

"That's what I thought." Janet announce triumphantly. "Now it's getting cold. Can we go inside?"

"I can't have you freezing to death out here." Without another word Eddie was out of the truck and opening her door. He held out his hand. "M'lady." Janet giggled as she placed her hand in his and he gently pulled her out of the truck. After pulling out their suitcase and bag of Christmas gifts they walked hand and hand into the Bed and Breakfast.

"Mr. Latekka?" The older man asked when they walked through the door.

"Yep. That's me." Eddie reached across the desk and shook his hand. "Mr. Barnett. Sorry we are late."

"It's not late."

"Thanks for squeezing us in. I really appreciate that." Eddie pulled a credit card out of his wallet and handed it to the owner. After the credit card was run through Eddie signed the paperwork and finally Mr. Barnett led the couple to their room.

"I apologize for the room." Mr. Barnett told them, opening the door and allowing Eddie and Janet to step in. "It's the smallest room that we have and the only one available for the next three days." The room was small. It was just big enough to hold a queen size bed, a small dresser with a television and DVD player on top of it and bedside table with a lamp.

"It's perfect." Janet exclaimed with a large smile.

"I'm glad you like it." Mr. Barnett said with a smile. "Your bathroom is at the end of the hall to the right. The other bathroom at the other end of the hall is for the guests in the other room who will arrive tomorrow."

"That's fine." Eddie told the older man.

"Breakfast is served between seven and nine but since you two are the only two guests that we have here so my wife will have breakfast ready for you when you are ready for it. What time would you like breakfast?"

"That is really thoughtful but you don't have to go to any trouble for us." Janet told him.

"You're paying for it so it's no trouble at all."

"Well in that case I think the later the better will work for us so is nine okay?" Janet asked.

"Nine would be fine Mrs. Latekka." Janet's smile grew larger when Mr. Barnett called her Mrs. Latekka. She enjoyed the way it sounded and decided not to correct him. "Do you need anything?"

"No sir. I think that we are good."

"Goodnight then. Sleep well. If you need anything I am available until eleven."

"Goodnight Mr. Barnett. Merry Christmas." Janet told him.

"Merry Christmas." Eddie echoed.

"Merry Christmas." As soon as Mr. Barnett closed the door Eddie pulled Janet into his arms causing her to giggle.

"Can we at least get out of our coats please?" Eddie didn't answer her with words. He used his lips and while he was answering her question he unzipped and slid her coat off.

"I'll take that as a yes." Janet said with a smile when they broke apart and was helping Eddie out of his own coat.

"Our coats won't be the only thing coming off." Janet had wanted to open presents first but she knew that wasn't going to happen after the kiss they shared in the truck. The kiss wasn't nearly enough and didn't even come close to what they needed.

Without any preamble they both began to remove their own clothes. There was one goal in mind and they weren't wasting any time reaching that goal. As Eddie was slipping out of his jeans he grabbed the remote and turned the television on. Janet gave him a questioning look. "We tend to get a little loud and since we are the only ones here besides the owners I would rather them not overhear anything."

"We will have to make it a point to keep it down." Janet was standing in her bra and underwear turning the bed down.

"God, you're gorgeous." Eddie tossed his pants and boxers and he walked over behind his fiancé, unhooked her bra, slid it off of her body and he cupped her breasts in his hands as he kissed her neck. Janet sighed and leaned back against him. "How did I get so lucky to have you all to myself for the rest of my life?" He mumbled in between kisses. Even though the sensation that Eddie was creating was exquisite Janet needed to see his face so she turned her body around.

"It's fate baby. You and I were meant to be together." With a sly grin Janet's hand slid down to Eddie's naked rear where she surprised him with a pinch.

"Ow!" Janet smiled innocently. "Here I was trying to have a meaningful conversation and you go and pinch my butt! Janet that was very immature."

"My hand slipped."

"You are so full of crap…Ow!"

"Opps. It slipped again."

"Yeah sure it did. Now my hand is going to slip." Janet squealed and tried to escape from his grasp but Eddie held tight and they ended falling to the bed, laughing the entire time.

"Oh…Eddie…Oh…stop…please…" Janet gasped through her laughter and tears. She was very ticklish while removing her underwear for a little payback he was tickling her.

"I'm sorry honey but my hand…it keep slipping."

"When I…of you…I'm going…" Janet was laughing so hard she could barely talk.

"What are you going to do?" Eddie taunted.

"I'm gonna…give up." She finally admitted. She knew she was no match for him. Eddie grinned triumphantly, laid back on the bed pulling her on top of him.

"That's what I thought." Janet rolled her eyes. "Maybe next time you should think before you act."

"Maybe you should shut up." She told him with a grin.

"Make me." He dared her.

"You're on." With a smile Janet pressed her lips on top of his and showed the man she loved just how much she loved him with her mouth and body and Eddie Latekka most defiantly shut up.

* * *

"That was fun." Eddie commented to the woman whose head was lying on his chest. He brushed her damp hair off of her forehead and kissed the newly exposed skin softly. Janet twisted her body and looked at him.

"Fun? Really? That's all you have to say? It was fun?" The smile on her face told him that she was kidding.

"Yeah. It was fun."

"Bastard." Janet turned away from him and pretended to pout.

"That's not what you said earlier." Eddie rolled over, wrapped an arm around her, resting his hand on a breast and he kissed her shoulder.

"I was confused."

"Baby, you blew my mind like you do every time we make love." With a smile, she rolled back over swung a leg over his and wrapped her arm around his upper back.

"We needed this Eddie. We had fun, we laughed and we had amazing sex."

"We always have amazing sex honey."

"Yes we do." Janet leaned slightly forward and kissed him softly.

"So do you wanna open presents?" Eddie asked and watched in pleasure as Janet's blue eyes sparkled with excitement.

"You know I do. I love presents." Janet pulled out of Eddie's embrace, found his tees shirt, slipped it over her head, found his boxers and tossed them to him.

"What are these for?"

"We are not opening up presents naked." Eddie knew it was pointless to argue with her so he got out of bed and as he slipped his underwear on he admired Janet's bare butt that he had a perfect view of since she was bent over picking up the bag of gifts since his tee shirt had rode up over her hips. Janet grabbed the bag, turned around and caught Eddie staring. Her cheeks turned red and her gaze left Eddie's handsome face and fell to the floor. Still, after all the time that they have been together, all of the times he has seen her naked she still found herself embarrassed when she caught him staring at her which was quite often. "Quit staring at me and my butt." Eddie walked over, took the bag of presents out of her hand, set them down on the floor and lifted her face up to his.

"I will never quit starting at you or your butt; especially your butt because your butt is amazing." Janet shook her head.

"No it's not. It's just…" Eddie cut her off with a kiss. He brought the hand that was under her chin down her back to the butt he loved where he caressed it through the kiss. Janet sighed softly when they broke apart.

"Baby, you, everything about you is amazing. Your eyes, your hair, your entire body especially your legs, breasts and yes darling, your butt is amazing. You are so perfect. You are so beautiful. You are the most beautiful woman that I have ever seen. Why can't you believe that?"

"I do baby. I really do. You have told me over and over and over again that I am beautiful so I do believe it I just…I'm just not used to stares at me…at my body and it makes me self conscious."

"You have nothing to be self conscious about sweetheart. You are so damn gorgeous." Janet smiled at her fiancé. "It seems we have a problem here."

"We do?"

"Yep. See I like; no actually I take that back, I love staring at every inch of you and I am going to continue to stare every chance I get so you're going to have to get over the self consciousness issue and enjoy my ogling." Janet laughed.

"I'll work on that."

"You do that because it's really not fair that you get to ogle and enjoy my incredibly sexy body…"

"I do not ogle!"

"Oh yes you do. All the time and don't get me wrong. I enjoy it."

"I know you do. You usually shake your butt for make your nipples dance."

"AH HA! You just admitted staring at me." Eddie flexed his pectoral muscles and made his nipples dance and Janet burst out laughing.

"How could I not? I mean…" Janet gestured at his body. "Look at you."

"And I feel the same way about you so you better get used to my stares because I have no intention of stopping." Janet wrapped her arms around and hugged him tightly.

"You asked earlier how did you get so lucky well know, I am going to ask the same questions. Sometimes, I am such a pain in the ass –"

"Sometimes?"Janet pulled her head of off his shoulder and grinned.

"Anyways as I was saying before I was rudely interrupted even though I am rarely a pain I wonder how I got so lucky that someone as wonderful as you fell in love with me."

"Because you are a work in progress and I am a sucker for a work in progress. Look at my best friends." Eddie laughed at his own joke.

"A work in progress?" Janet quirked an eyebrow. "Really?" Eddie gave her the smile that melted her heart every time she saw it.

"You're not the only work in progress in this room. I am a major work in progress." He told her hopefully and Janet couldn't help but smile lovingly at the man who was holding her.

"A never ending work in progress."

"To really answer your question, one answer that I would have to give you the same answer you gave me. It's fate. You and me are meant to be."

"And the second reason?"

"So I can tell you every day for the rest of my life how beautiful that you are."

"That is a very good reason; one I can definitely live with." Tears filled Janet's eyes. "I love you Eddie."

"I know honey. I love you too."

"Can we open our presents now?" Janet sounded like a little girl and Eddie thought it was adorable.

"Yes dear we can open our presents."

"Oh goody. Now the fun begins."

"You're never going to let that go are you?"

"Nope." Janet extracted herself from his arms and happily returned to bed, wrapping the blankets around her with Eddie right behind her with their presents.

"Merry Christmas Janet."

"Merry Christmas Eddie." The couple leaned towards each other and shared a slow, sweet kiss. As soon as they broke the kiss Eddie pulled the gifts out and laid them on the bed. Janet quickly reached for one and handed it to Eddie. "You first."

"If you insist." Eddie loved getting presents. Like a child he ripped open his present, sending wrapping paper everywhere. "Janet this is great." She had bought him a briefcase. "I'm like a real business man now."

"Do you like it?" It was a real leather briefcase with his initials engraved on it. "You have been telling me that you felt unprofessional just carrying the paperwork to your work sites and to business meetings so I thought a briefcase would help you feel more professional."

"I love it Janet. You knew exactly what I wanted even though I didn't."

"Really?"

"Really."

"I'm so glad." Janet reached for one of her presents. "My turn." Eddie pulled the present out of her hand.

"Hey. That's my present."

"Not this one. Not yet." He handed her another. "Open this one."

"If you say so." Unlike Eddie, Janet took her time opening her present which drove Eddie crazy but he thought it was endearing the way she took her time but he wasn't a patient man.

"Can you speed it up a little?"

"Nope." She finally got the wrapping paper off and lifted the lid off of the box.

"It's more of a gift for me than for you but I couldn't resist." Janet pulled out a black low cut silk nightgown that was trimmed with white lace as was the bodice. Along with the night gown there was a matching robe.

"It's beautiful Eddie."

"When I saw it I pictured you in it and I really liked what I saw so I had to buy it so you could wear it."

"I can't wait to put it on for you."

"God, you are going to look so hot. You like it?"

"I do. You know that I love pretty, sexy night gowns." Eddie handed her another gift. "It's your turn."

"It's all good. I'm excited. I want you to open this one."

"Okay." Again, Janet slowly opened the gift. "Oh Eddie it looks just like our house." Eddie had found a Christmas cottage that really did look like their home.

"I wanted to add to your cottage collection."

"I love it baby. I really do. Thank you." Now it was time for Eddie to open another gift. Janet handed him the last gift she had there for him.

"Guitar playing for dummies?" Eddie was slightly confused. "Is this a white elephant gift?"

"Open the book." She instructed. Eddie did as Janet told him and it really was a book about playing the guitar. In the middle of the book he found an envelope and inside the envelope was a certificate for guitar lessons.

"Janet, I don't understand."

"You mentioned a couple of times that you wished you knew how to play the guitar so now with these lessons your wish can come true. "

"This is really great babe but I don't have a guitar."

"Yes I am aware of that." Janet grabbed her phone.

"Who are you calling?"

"No one. Just have some patience."

"That, I really don't have." Janet pulled up the internet on her phone and logged into her email and opened up an email from Phil.

"You do have a guitar. It's one of Christmas gifts. I had it hidden at home because you would have known what it was the minute you saw it."

"You got me a guitar?"

"Yep. I asked Phil, our local computer whiz to find me a good guitar for you for a reasonable price and he really came through. He emailed me a picture and information on it before he bought it." Janet handed Eddie her phone and his smile grew large as he inspected his new guitar.

"This is fantastic. I love it. I can't wait to go home and start strumming."

"If you're that excited maybe we should pack up and go home right now."

"I'm not that excited. Janet this is amazing. You are the best fiancé in the world."

"Oh there is a motive behind this gift." She admitted. "When you learn to play then you will be able to play a love song for me."

"You're on."

"Okay. My turn." Before Janet could reach for her final gift Eddie grabbed it first.

"This gift is really personal and if I would have known what today is, I would have rethought it."

"I don't understand." Eddie handed her the gift.

"Open it and you'll understand."

Now Janet was anxious. She slowly, more so than before, opened her gift and now she was confused because behind the wrapping paper was a folder. Never in her life had she been afraid to open a gift but tonight she was. She looked at Eddie and he nodded in encouragement so she slowly opened the folder and pulled out a picture from one of the pockets.

"Is this..?" Janet was looking at a picture of her brother's gravestone. She saw his name Alexander Thomas Meadows. His birth date and the day he died was engraved in the stone along with the words _Treasured son & brother _and in the middle of the stone was a picture of the two of them with their arms wrapped around each other. "How?" Janet couldn't muster anymore words. She just sat there as silent tears fell from her eyes. Eddie cleared the wrapping paper and gifts off of the bed, sat next to her and pulled her to his chest.

"The night of the anniversary of Alex's death when we were lying in bed you told me that you couldn't remember what his stone looked like and you wished that he and the stone were closer so you would be able to remember and feel closer to him. I wanted that for you and this picture was the best that I could do to give you what you wanted." Janet didn't respond. She just lay with her head on Eddie's chest, tracing her brother's headstone with her fingernail as tears rolled down her cheek. "Oh baby, I'm, sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." Eddie sighed. "I can't believe that I screwed this up." Janet lifted her head and kissed him softly, his cheeks absorbing the tears that were on her cheeks.

"You didn't screw anything up Eddie." Janet told him softly after they broke the kiss and she settled back onto his bare chest.

"I made you cry. That counts as a screw up and honey. If I would have known that today was the day that our baby would have been born I wouldn't have given you the picture. I was trying to give you what I thought you wanted and instead I hurt you."

"You didn't hurt me. This is an amazing gift Eddie."

"But you're crying."

"I am crying and they are a mixture of sad and happy tears. I'm sad because I am thinking of what I have lost but I am happy because you have given me back something that I had lost."

"What did you lose?"

"I lost this memory and I felt like I was losing my brother in the process. I had forgotten that my parents put a picture of Alex and I on his headstone. Eddie you gave me back something I lost and that is the best gift that I ever could have gotten." Janet turned her head and smiled lovingly at her man. "Thank you so much Eddie."

"You're really okay with this?" Janet nodded.

"Today I have been focusing on what has been lost it's time to focus on what I have gained and I have gained something amazing and priceless."

"What's that baby?"

"You and your love and right now, that means everything to me."

"I love you Janet."

"I know you do." Eddie lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it softly. "How did you get this picture?"

"I had some help. I found out where Alex is buried and the name of the base he was stationed at when Alex died and from there I made a lot of phone calls. It was a weird request and no one really knew what to do with me."

"I have that problem often."

"You always figure out what to do don't you?"

"Yep."

"Anyways dear, I finally was put in touch with the chaplain's office and he helped me out. He went to the cemetery, found Alex, took the a few pictures and emailed them to me. He was great." Janet pointed to the picture.

"This looks like a Christmas wreath. Is that from the chaplain?"

"No honey. It's from us."

"I don't understand."

"With help from the chaplain, I ordered this wreath from a florist and had it delivered." Eddie pulled the piece of paper out of the second pocket. "This is the receipt and along with the wreath, there will be a bouquet delivered to him on your birthday and the anniversary of his death for the next five years because that's the farthest the florist would let me pay in advance and the chaplain will go to the cemetery on those days, take a picture and email it to me." Janet had just stopped crying and learning what Eddie had done, the wonderful thoughtful thing that he had done, yet again made her cry. "You said he was lonely so I thought the flowers would help."

"It does. It really does." Janet cried. "Thank you Eddie so much. I can't tell you what this means to me."

"I know what it means to you."

"Alex would have approved of you. I think you two would have been friends." Janet placed the folder on the bedside table and pulled his face down and kissed him. "I love you." She whispered when they pulled apart.

* * *

"All right I'll go out first to make sure the coast is clear. You can follow me in a minute and I will be waiting at our door, ready to protect your honor if necessary." Janet placed a hand over her heart and sighed.

"My knight in shining armor."

"Damn straight baby."

Janet smiled as Eddie walked out of the smile bathroom and she moved in front of the mirror. After wiping off the accumulated steam she examined her reflection in the mirror and realized that she was actually glowing and how could she not be after the evening she had shared.

After they opened their gifts, what little clothes that they were wearing quickly fell to the floor and they made love. Eddie moved slowly, painfully slow, in and out of Janet so he could spend his time kissing her. Nothing was better for him to be inside of the woman he loved as he kissed her neck, lips and every part of her face with closed eyes. To him it felt so much more intense and he felt closer to her than ever before and Janet felt the same. While Janet loves high energy love making she also really enjoys the slow passionate love making as well and tonight, what they shared, the slowness, was amazing and when she finally crested the peak of pleasure there were tears in her eyes.

After they recovered it was decided that they needed a shower. Not wanting to spend a minute apart and since they were the only couple at the Bed & Breakfast they decided to shower together. There was no sex in shower; just two people in love kissing and touching as they soaped each other up. The soft touches and kisses were perfect. After their shower they dried each other off and Janet put on the nightgown that Eddie got her and even she had to admit he had great taste. Wrapping the matching robe around her, she opened the door and saw Eddie standing in the doorway of their room giving her the all clear sign. Giggling, Janet rushed back to their room.

"Here let me help you with that." With a sexy smile Eddie removed Janet's robe, tossed it on her suitcase and ran his eyes up and down her body. "You look hot."

"You should be very pleased with yourself Mr. Latekka since you picked it out."

"Oh believe me. I am." Eddie held out her hand. "Shall we retreat to bed?"

"That sounds delightful sir." While Janet was still in the bathroom Eddie had remade the bed. They took a few steps to the bed, Eddie turned it down and Janet climbed in. After tucking her in, he ruined the sweet moment and instead of walking to the other side he climbed right over to his side of the bed.

"You're nuts." Janet said laughing.

"It was easier to climb over you than to walk around. I'm so tired and my side of the bed is so far away."

"Lazy bum." They adjusted their bodies so they were lying facing each other with their hands linked. "But I still love ya."

"You better. It's too late to change your mind."

"Merry Christmas Eddie."

"Merry Christmas sweetheart."


	34. Chapter 34

"Let's go Hannah. Concentrate." Janet called encouragingly to her best friend.

Eddie, Janet, Nick and Hannah were celebrating New Year's Eve at the local bowling alley. The Johnson Inn was having a fancy New Years Eve party that Janet planned every detail of but she just wasn't in the mood for a fancy party. She wanted to spend the evening relaxing with friends and fiancé and apparently so did her friends and fiancé. When she suggested they spend the evening bowling, everyone readily agreed and right now they were playing guys against girls and it was a close game.

"Look at that. You left three pins standing." Eddie teased.

"Hey! Teasing shows lack of good sportsmanship." Janet chastised her fiancé.

"I wasn't being a bad sport. I was just letting Hannah know what was left standing in case she couldn't see them." Janet rolled her eyes.

"I can see perfectly fine Eddie." Janet saw the twinkle in his Eddie as he shrugged. "He's psyching us out." Hannah mumbled.

"Of course he is because he is a sore loser." The girls laughed as Eddie went up to bowl and Janet decided that it was time for some payback. Right before he was about to throw the ball she called his name and when he turned around Janet was bent over "picking something up" and he had the perfect view of the cleavage that her shirt offered. She knew his eyes would gravitate to her cleavage. "I dropped something. Can you help me?" Eddie laughed.

"I think you have it under control." He told her chest.

"Eddie. Focus." Nick yelled, pulling Eddie out of his trance. Eddie shook his head and grinned at his fiancé.

"Nice try babe. You can't distract me."

"I wasn't trying to distract you."

"Sure you were but I am indistractable."

"We'll see about that." Everyone watched as Eddie concentrated and threw the ball right into the gutter.

"Are you kidding me?" He grumbled as his friends laughed. Janet definitely distracted him. He couldn't stop picturing what was under her shirt. Nick stood up and walked over to Eddie placing his hands on his shoulders while the girls laughed.

"They are playing dirty Eddie. Your fiancé is using her girl parts to distract you."

"Girl parts?" Janet snorted and the guys ignored her.

"I can't help it man. I am a sucker for Janet's girl parts."

"We need four pins to win. Get Janet's girl parts out of your mind and knock four pins down."

"Okay. I can do this." Eddie shook his head, avoided looking in Janet's direction, grabbed his ball and threw it down the lane. Three pins fell while a fourth tilted back and forth and finally fell. Eddie and Nick cheered while Janet and Hannah pouted. After a bunch of congratulatory pats on the back, Nick and Hannah went to refill their pitcher of beer while Eddie pulled Janet to her feet and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"One pin Latekka. You won by one pin."

"That's all we needed babe."

"But you could have had lots more pins if you didn't let my girl parts distract you."

"I am helpless when it comes to your amazing girl parts. In fact, I would like to see those parts and other parts."

"Play your cards right Latekka, you may just get your wish." With a tender smile, Eddie lowered his head and kissed his girl.

Their weekend getaway proved to be exactly what they needed. Like Eddie had planned the two of them spent the day in their room, in their bed the day after Christmas with the exception of breakfast and a trip to the store to grab some snacks and drinks and then later that night for a late dinner of burgers and fries at a local burger joint. The next day they went shopping and then to the ski resort for tubing and on Sunday, before heading home, they drove to Gram's nursing home and surprised her with lunch.

The time they spent together, whether it was out in public or in the privacy of their room was perfect. In public, they laughed and talked and in their room, they talked, laughed, watched television and made love. By the end of the weekend the two of them rekindled their connection and they made a deal with each other. No matter what was going on in their lives they were always going to make time for each other as a couple in love which led to weekly date night. Once a week, no matter how busy they are they were going to take a few hours for themselves and go out on a date at least once a week so they can get away from the pressures of life and enjoy being together and tonight was their first of hopefully many date nights.

"All right you two. This is a public facility and there are children present." Nick chided and the couple reluctantly pulled apart.

"Come on Janet let's give them a rematch." Hannah suggested.

"Can you stand the humiliation?" Eddie asked with a grin and Janet pulled out of his grasp.

"Can you stand the humiliation of being beat by girls?" Janet countered with a grin.

"Never happen."

"We'll see about that." Janet swatted his rear end and went to reset the scoreboard.

* * *

An hour and a half later they were a few minutes away from the New Year and Hannah and Janet had been humiliated. They talked a lot of trash but when it came down to it, they couldn't live up to the hype and unfortunately for them, they bet the guys and consequently lost so know on one day of their choosing, Hannah and Janet will become servants; doing anything and everything that they want; no questions asked or complaints.

"What'cha doing?" Janet asked sitting down next to Eddie. She had just returned from the restroom. The lights in the bowling alley were on and the staff was handing out complimentary champagne for the patrons over twenty one so they could toast at midnight.

"Making my list of demands for you." He answered with a rotten grin.

"I am so going to regret this aren't I?

"You shouldn't have made a bet that you had no hope in winning."

"Hey! There was hope. We won the first game."

"By pure luck." Janet stuck her tongue out at him and Eddie stuck his out right back.

"Excuse me? Would you like champagne?" A barmaid interrupted them.

"Yes. Two please." Janet stood and accepted to glasses. After handing one to Eddie she went to sit back down beside him but he grabbed her hand and pulled her down on his lap. "Now won't this keep you from working on that list of yours?" Eddie tapped his finger to his forehead.

"It's all up here and I have plans for you."

"Great." Nick and Hannah returned from the bar where Hannah ordered a club soda.

"Well don't you two look cozy?" Nick commented.

"Very." Eddie answered nuzzling Janet's neck.

"After the ball drops we should play couple against couple." Janet suggested.

"Sounds good unless the married couple can't hack it." Eddie taunted.

"Oh we can handle it."

"We'll see about that."

"Want to place a little wager on that Latekka?"

"No."

"Yes." Janet and Eddie said at the same time. Janet was the "no" and Eddie was the "yes."

"We win you do all the paperwork, every bit of it at the office for the next month." Nick offered.

"You're on. And if we win, you are the one who does the paperwork." The two men shook on the bet and since the bet didn't affect either of them, the girls let the bet ride, each hoping their man would be the one to win the bet.

The lights flashed in the bowling alley signifying that the ball was going to drop. The two couples on lanes twenty two and twenty three focused their attention on the television in front of them. They counted down with the crowd to the New Year and when the ball hit the bottom, they clinked their glasses together.

"Here is to the beginning of a new year." Eddie told Janet.

"The beginning of the best year of our life. Happy New Year baby." Janet responded.

"Happy New Year sweetheart." They took another drink and then began the New Year with a soft, sweet kiss.

* * *

"Honey." Janet sighed when she heard Eddie calling for her from the living room. Today was the day he cashed in on the winning bet from New Year's Eve and all day Janet has been his servant and he was driving her crazy. From the moment she woke up she had been waiting on Eddie's every need, desire and crazy things he had come up with just to torment her.

She woke up this morning to a wonderful morning kiss that led to a lot more. As soon as they came down from their high Eddie's demands began. It started off with breakfast in bed. After breakfast he demanded a shower that included Janet doing the washing and drying which Janet knew it was just an excuse so she could touch his naked body and that's how the day continued. He demanded that she clean the inside of his truck out, bring him refreshments and snacks, massage his shoulders and back and anything else he could come up with. When lunch time came around he wanted Sully's for lunch, movies from the video store and a steak dinner so Janet had to go out in the cold and snow to Sully's, the video store and grocery store since they didn't have everything she needed for his dinner.

While Eddie was having fun with Janet's follow through on the lost bet he was really enjoying the time that they had spent together. Since this was Janet's weekend off he made it a point that Max did not spend the night the previous night like he always does just so he could spend this time with Janet. Since the New Year, things at Best Friend Windows have slowed down for him but not the company. As promised, he and Nick hired some more guys to help with the extra work they were getting. Their business was really picking up and they decided to add in flooring and doors so they were going to be busy. In two weeks there was a woman starting as their administrative assistant. She was starting in two weeks because for the month of January, Eddie was taking care of all of the administrative needs of the office since he lost the bowling bet. After two weeks of tedious paperwork he made many mental notes to himself never to bet on anything ever again.

"Janet." He called again. The day was almost over and he had a little more torment left in him.

"Yes dear?" It took everything Eddie had not to laugh at the look of irritation on her face and he couldn't blame her. He had been running her ragged all day. He would have to make it up to her. He requested a homemade chocolate milkshake with whip cream and a cherry.

"Ahhh. Delicious." Eddie complimented after taking a giant slurp and Janet began to giggle. "What?"

"You've got whip cream all over your face."

"Then I suggest you get it off."

"Whatever you want." With a smile, Janet scooted next to him, leaned forward and kissed away the whip cream from his face. "That's better."

"Next on the agenda…"

"You're not done yet?"

"Nope." Eddie leaned against the side of the couch and placed his bare feet on her lap.

"What am I supposed to do with those?" He wiggled his toes.

"My toenails need clipped." Eddie informed her and Janet gagged. She hated touching feet. She has massaged his feet before but he always had socks on. It wasn't her favorite thing to do for him but she could tolerate it as long as he was wearing socks. The thought of cutting his toenails made her want to hurl.

"You have got to be kidding."

"Do I look like I am kidding?"

"I can't."

"You have too." Janet gagged again. "The clippers an in the medicine cabinet." Glaring at Eddie, she shoved his feet off her lap by his ankles and stormed into their bathroom, trying o figure out the best way to puke on him because it would serve him right, without hitting the couch. She returned a minute later with the toenail clippers in hand and a glare meaner than she was wearing when she left.

"Let's get this over with." Eddie returned his feet to Janet's lap and she stared at his exceptionally long toes, willing herself to do as he requested because if she didn't do everything he requested, then he automatically won another day of servitude and Janet couldn't handle another day like this.

"All right. Enough." Eddie pulled his feet off of Janet's lap and took the clippers out of her hand.

"What are you doing?"

"I can't make you do this."

"Thank you."

"I'm sorry honey. I just wanted to see how far I could take this."

"That was really mean."

"Were you really going to do it?"

"I was going to try but honestly the only thing that would have happened would have been puke on your lap."

"You're a good sport sweetheart."

"I always clear my debts."

"I have one more demand of you before your day of being my servant is over." Eddie leaned over and gently pushed Janet back on to the couch.

"And what would that be?" Janet wrapped her arms around his neck.

"You don't know?"

"I have no idea."

"The very last thing I demand of you today is for you to make love to me."

"Baby, you don't need a bet for me to make love to you." Janet pulled him down and their lips met in a fiery, passionate kiss.

* * *

Jennifer, Best Friend Windows new administrative assistant was sitting at her desk one cold and snowy morning in February when an angry woman burst into the office. She had been working at the small company for two weeks and to her, Nick and Eddie seemed to run a good, solid company and all of their costumers that she had come in contact with during these last two weeks seemed very happy with the job so seeing this angry customer surprised her.

"Can I help you?" Jennifer asked.

"No." Janet snapped, walking past her without a glance just as Nick was coming out of the back room.

"Hey Ja…"Nick stopped in mid-sentence when he saw the look of a very angry woman on Janet's face. "He's in the back." Janet stormed past him into the back room leaving him to explain to a bewildered Jennifer what happened.

Eddie turned when he heard the door to the back room slam opened. He grinned when he saw Janet but his smile quickly faded when he saw how angry she was. "Uh oh." He mumbled.

"What in the hell is this?" She seethed shoving a small card in his hand.

"It's an RSVP for the reception." Today when Janet got the mail she opened this RSVP and when she saw who RSVP'ed she was furious and had to handle this in person.

"From Rory." Eddie flipped the card over and saw that it was in fact from Rory.

"Umm okay. Is this why you are so creased?"

"I don't recall Rory being on our invitation list." Janet ignored his question.

"She wasn't. You gave me a few invitations to hand out to someone that we may have forgotten. A couple weeks ago I ended up behind Rory in line at the grocery store. When we both checked out we walked out to my tuck and I gave her an invitation."

"Un –invite her."

"Excuse me?"

"I don't want her there so you are going to have to un-invite her."

"That's rude."

"You should have thought of that before you invited her."

"Our reception is supposed to be a place where our friends gather to celebrate our wedding."

"Friends Eddie. Friends and Rory is definitely not my friend and on that note, when in the hell did Rory become your friend?"

"We've been friends."

"How often do you call her? How often do the two of you hang out and the answers you give have better be what I think it is or we are going to have to reconsider our wedding."

"You know damn well that I don't call or hang out with her."

"So why invite her? She isn't your or my friend."

"Janet I can't just rescind her invite."

"You sure as hell can. It's simple. Call her and say "I'm sorry. I was an idiot and I should not have invited you."

"Come on Janet. Aren't you being overly dramatic?"

"Overly dramatic? Are you kidding me? This is our wedding Eddie and that day should be about us."

"It will be."

"Not with Rory there. I do not want your ex-girlfriend at our reception. Period."

"What about what I want?"

"What do you want Eddie? Me or Rory at our reception?"

"What kind of question is that? Rory and I…that was back in high school Janet. Rory means nothing to me and you damn well know that."

"What if Rooster was still alive? Would you be okay with me inviting him to our reception?"

"Hell no I wouldn't be!"

"So why can't you understand why I don't want Rory there? Eddie she is everything that I am not and I know me and you know me and you know that I will spend the whole night comparing myself to her; your first true love and that's not how I want to remember that night." Janet was really trying not to cry,

"I was a kid Janet and I didn't know what love was. I thought I was in love with her but I wasn't. You are the only woman I love."

"Un-invite her. I don't care you do or what you say. Blame me if you must. I don't want her at our reception." She turned and walked away from her, back into the front office.

"Are you okay?" Nick asked.

"I'm fine. I'm off to go to lunch with your wife. Any messages?"

"Nah. I just hung up with her. Have fun." Janet walked over to the new administrative assistant and held out her hand.

"I'm Janet, Eddie's fiancé."

"Jennifer, the administrative assistant."

"I apologize for my earlier behavior. I am actually a very nice person and not rude like I was. I am very sorry."

"It's okay. Nick told me who you were."

"This never happens. Next time I see you it will be under much more pleasant circumstances."

"It was a pleasure to meet you Janet."

"You too." Janet smiled and left the office as Eddie came sulking out of the back room.

"Are you in trouble?" Nick asked, suppressing a grin.

"Apparently."

"Let's roll. It's getting bad out there and we can't be late for this meeting."

"Give me a minute. I have a phone call to make." Eddie knew that he had to do as Janet asked. He would not be responsible for ruining their reception for her.

* * *

"What on earth possessed him to invite Rory of all people to our reception?" Janet and Hannah enjoyed lunch together the new Italian place that opened on Main Street and during the time they were out, Janet managed to keep her frustration regarding her fiancé under wraps and enjoyed the time she and Hannah were spending together but now that they were in the privacy of Hannah's home Janet was ranting about her beloved Eddie. "I mean seriously, why did he, for even a minute think that inviting his ex-girlfriend, who he kissed while we were dating would be at all okay?"

"Janet…" Hannah gasped but Janet was too angry to hear her.

"He actually seemed surprised that I was upset that he invited her. What in the hell is wrong with him?"

"Janet…"

"I actually told him to pick who he wants at the reception, me or her. Can you…"

"JANET!" Hannah shouted and Janet finally heard her.

"Hannah what's wrong?"

"I'm having contractions. I'm in labor."

"Are you sure?"

"It's been awhile but I think I remember labor."

"Okay. We've got to get you to the hospital."

Janet immediately jumped into action. She got Hannah into her coat, called Nick and Eddie but only got their voicemails so she left a message for Nick and finally called Sam's school to leave a message for him to go home with Doodie and then the two of them drove through the snowfall to the hospital. The normally short ten minute drive took them thirty minutes due to the inclement weather but Janet got them to the hospital safely.

"Have you heard from Nick?" Hannah asked in between contractions.

"The nurse made me turn my phone off. I'll go outside and check my voicemail." Before Janet could move, Hannah reached out and grabbed her hand.

"Please, don't leave me alone."

"Okay. I won't go anywhere." Suddenly, Janet was Hannah's birth coach and she had no idea how to do it.

* * *

"My wife Hannah Garrett is here having our baby." Nick told the woman at the information desk.

"She's in labor and delivery 5 on the third floor."

"Has she…the baby…has she had the baby yet?"

"I don't have that information."

"Come on Nicky. Let's get you upstairs." Nick nodded and allowed his friend to led him to the elevator.

It had been two and a half hours since Janet had left the voicemail on Nick's phone. They were in the middle of a meeting for a new account and had their phones turned off, as any self-respecting business men do. After the meeting when Nick got the message he practically lost his mind and due to the weather Eddie couldn't get Nick to the hospital as quickly as either of them wanted, hence a trip that on a good day takes forty five minutes took them an hour and a half.

"Five. This is it." Nick stood nervously outside of the room.

"Get in there before you miss this kid being born." Nick nodded and opened the door.

"Excuse me sir…"

"This is my wife." He mumbled to the nurse who looked at Janet for conformation since Hannah was in the middle of pushing.

"That's him." Janet affirmed from Hannah's bedside.

"One more push Hannah and you're baby will be here." The doctor told the patient. Hannah grunted and pushed as hard as she could. Nick was rooted to the floor, watching as his child came out into the world. "Congratulations. It's a girl." The baby girl was placed on her mother's chest and Nick finally moved to the bed.

"You're late." Hannah mumbled.

"I made it just in time." Nick said tearfully.

"Yes you did." The couple was gazing at their newborn daughter with love and Janet felt like she was intruding.

"I'm going to go pick up Sam and bring him back here." Janet told them.

"Janet, thank you." Hannah told her.

"It's no problem. I know that Sam would want to be here."

"Not just for picking up Sam; for being here for me. I wouldn't have been able to do it without you."

"Yeah. Thanks for stepping in when I couldn't be here." Surprising Janet, Nick gave her a big bear hug. "You are a selfless woman and Eddie is lucky to have."

"I…thanks Nick." With a wave Janet stepped out into the hall and almost walked right in to Eddie.

"Whoa there girl. Is everything okay in there?"

"Yeah. They have a girl." Nick and Hannah had kept the sex of their baby a secret.

"Wow. A little girl. That's something isn't it?" Janet nodded in agreement.

"I need to go pick Sam up and bring him over."

"Are you too mad at me to accept a ride?"

"I suppose that I could accept a ride."

"What about a kiss?"

"I'll think about it."

They were both pretty quiet on the walk to the parking garage where his truck was parked. As he always did, he opened her door and helped her inside. Before shutting the door he leaned in and stole a quick kiss. He was not a patient man and he wanted his kiss.

"All right. I screwed up. I shouldn't have invited Rory to the reception." He announced the instant he got in the truck.

"Why did you?" She asked quietly.

"I guess it just felt like the right thing to do. Rory and I were making polite conversation in the line and she asked me about the wedding and I filled her in and then it just felt weird talking about how awesome the reception will be and then not invite her to it so I gave her an invitation and when I did, I didn't think about how you would feel."

"Did you un-invite her?"

"I did. I called her before we left for our meeting. She told me she thought it was weird that I gave her an invitation and she didn't want to be rude so she accepted it. She was very gracious and understanding about the whole situation. She actually called me a moron."

"You're not a moron. You just sometimes do moronic things."

"I'm really, really sorry Janet."

"I know you are. When I opened the RSVP I was so excited. I couldn't wait to see who else would be coming and when I saw her name my heart just sank and I automatically began comparing the two of us; what you had and what you were getting. I imagined her judging me all night long. I imagined her looking so much better in the wedding dress than me."

"Oh baby."

"Those thoughts didn't last long. I put them out of my head and reminded myself that you love me and only me and if Rory was standing in front of you naked on our wedding day, you would still marry me."

"You know it."

"Then I got mad. I couldn't understand why you wanted your ex-girlfriend at our wedding reception and I was hurt by it."

"I didn't mean to hurt you."

"I know. What you did was moronic and I forgive you. I'm sorry for the way I approached the whole situation. I probably could have handled it better."

"I don't know. Seeing how pissed off you were showed me how hurt you were and made me really think about what I did so I guess I deserved it."

"Is there anyone else that you gave an invitation to that would cause me to lose my mind?"

"Just the cheerleading squad from our senior year. Is that cool?"

"That's perfect. Maybe they can put together a cheer for us."

"That is exactly what I was thinking." The light turned red and Eddie stopped the truck and then took that opportunity to get a real kiss. "Eight weeks baby."

"What's in eight weeks?" Janet asked, knowing exactly what he was talking about. She just wanted to hear him say it.

"In eight weeks you and I will be married." There was a grin, the size of Texas on Eddie's face. The next eight weeks wouldn't move fast enough. "In eight weeks I will become Mr. Janet Meadows." Janet burst out laughing.

"Now, that I can live with."


	35. Chapter 35

Janet was leaning against the passenger door in her jeep, her legs tucked underneath her reading her E-book. Well actually, she was pretending to read. She had been unable to focus for awhile now because she couldn't take her eyes off of Eddie's handsome face. Since waking up this morning, he has had the most beautiful smile permanently fixed on his face. .

"See something you like?" Eddie quipped and Janet jumped in surprise. She thought she was being slick about watching him. She hadn't actually looked up from her book. She was just watching him out of the corner of her eye.

"I do. Your smile. I don't think that I have ever seen you smile like that before. It's wonderful to look at."

"We're getting married in a few hours. I don't think that I have ever been so happy before which is probably why you haven't seen me smile like this before." Tears filled Janet's eyes and Eddie reached across the seat and took her hand.

"I love you." She whispered over the lump in her throat.

"You better." He winked at her,squeezed her hand and returned his attention back to the road.

"Janet, I just got to the next level." Max said from the backseat. He and Sam were playing on Sam's Nintendo DS. Janet turned in her seat and smiled at her soon to be brother in-law.

"Great job Max. I am proud of you." You would have thought Janet just told him he won a million dollars because his smile was that big.

Today was Eddie and Janet's wedding day. They decided not to follow the tradition of the bride and groom not seeing each other before the ceremony because they knew that nothing was going to ruin their long awaited wedding day.

The day started off with breakfast with the wedding guests. The guests included, Janet's parents, Eddie's parents, Janet's Grams, Lillian, Jason, Max, Nick, Hannah, Sam and Owen. Ikey decided to forgo the wedding with Eddie's blessing because he has never been one for formal affairs but he promised to let loose at the reception and for obvious reasons Phil was not there but Phil was doing his part to participate in the wedding. He was watching Jasper for them for the week. Hannah's parents came into town for the week and they stayed home with Carolyn, Nick and Hannah's two month old daughter because Hannah and Nick didn't think it was a good idea to bring an infant to the beach.

After breakfast they loaded the cars and began their journey to Connecticut. Of course Max had to ride with Eddie and Janet and he wanted Sam to ride with him and Janet would never deny Max anything. Grams rode with Janet's parents while Owen hitched a ride with Eddie's parents and Lillian and Jason rode alone since they left the boys at home. Lillian's boys couldn't be expected to behave during the ceremony and Lillian and Jason were looking forward to the time alone.

"Did we bring the marriage license?" Eddie suddenly asked. Janet looked up from her book and smiled. Eddie was so cute. Over the last couple of days he had been checking, double and triple checking everything. He has called the hotel twice a day for the last three days confirming their reservation. He took the marriage license to a lawyer to make sure there was nothing wrong with it. He made a packing list of everything they would need and once their suitcases were packed he went through them to make sure they had everything. Since they woke up he has asked her four times about the marriage license. Janet loved that he was so excited.

"Yes baby. We brought it."

"Where is it?" Janet reached into the glove box and pulled out the envelope with their marriage license in it.

"It's right here."

"Oh my God Janet. Don't wave it around. It could get sucked out the window and then we would lose it. Put it back for crying out loud." Biting back a smile because there was no way the large yellow envelope would be sucked out the window and because he was just being too adorable she put it back in the glove box.

"Sorry. I didn't think about that."

"Man, if we would have lost that I have no idea what we would have done."

"We're not going to lose it."

"Just leave it in the glove box oaky. I don't want to risk it."

"I won't touch it."

"Thank you." Janet settled back into her seat and her book to enjoy the remainder of the ride.

An hour and a half later Eddie pulled into the hotel that would be their home for the next week. It was everything the pictures on the internet promised and more. Even the dark gray clouds that were present in the sky couldn't ruin the view.

"It's perfect." Janet whispered. They were standing in front of her jeep taking everything in.

"I would have to agree." Janet wrapped an arm around his waist and laid her head against him. Eddie quickly wrapped an arm around her and kissed the top of her head.

"This is perfect." She repeated. It is exactly what I wanted. Baby, is it what you wanted? I didn't force you to do something you didn't want to do did I?"

"Of course not sweetheart. This is exactly what I want. You, me, here on a beach saying our vows. It doesn't get any more perfect than this." Eddie turned his body to Janet's and kissed her softly.

"Come on you two. Save it for the wedding." Owen called to them and they reluctantly pulled apart.

"Let's check in."

After Eddie and Janet checked in they were ushered to a meeting with the man who would be marrying them. During the meeting the pastor asked questions about their relationship so he had some idea of who he was marrying and then the three of them discussed the wedding. It was going to be an easy job for the pastor because Eddie and Janet wanted their ceremony to be simple. He asked if they had any special requests and they said no and that was it. While Janet went off to meet with the photographer Eddie hung back and then put in a special request to surprise Janet.

Since Janet was making all the decesions regarding the pictures he unloaded the jeep and took their belongings up to their room. He snuck in his guitar without Janet seeing it because he wanted to surprise her with a little song;it wasn't by any means anything fancy. He hasn't had very many lessons and hasn't learned much more than the basics but his Janet wanted him to play a love song so that's what she was going to get.

* * *

Eddie grinned as he looked through the peephole and saw his fiancé standing on the other side. He opened the door just wide enough to stick his head through. "Can I help you?"

"I have a wedding to get ready for and I need my bag so I can look beautiful for my fiancé."

"You look beautiful just the way you are." Janet snorted. She had no makeup on and her hair was a frizzy mess pulled back into a half bun with strands falling out arpund her face.

"So if I showed up on the beach like this in three hours you would marry me?"

"Absolutely. Without a doubt."

"You are sweet."

"I'm just being honest."

"Move so I can get my bag."

"Nope. This is the Honeymoon Suite and since you are not married yet you can't come in here."

"You aren't married and you are in there."

"Cause I got here first and that's the rule."

"You are so full of crap."

"That may be true but you are not coming in this room until after we are married." He shrugged. "Sorry." Janet rolled her eyes and smiled. She really loved this man.

"Fine. Since you are acting like a child can you at least get me my bag so I can be somewhat presentable for our wedding?"

"I suppose. Please wait here."

"It's the green bag." Janet called as he shut the door.

"I know." He answered through the door and Janet rolled her eyes. A minute later he opened the door wide enough for him to squeeze through and he stepped out and handed her the bag.

"Thank you." Janet gave him a hug in thanks.

"You are very welcome. Now go get yourself gorgeous for our wedding." Janet pulled away, quirked an eyebrow and placed a hand on her hip.

"You just said that you would marry me like this. Did you change your mind?"

"Absolutely not. If you wanted to wear those blue sweats you love and my gray tee shirt with all holes in it that you refuse to give up I would be standing right next to you thinking how beautiful you look. If you want to walk down to the beach, wearing what we have on right now I will do it because no matter what you have on, to me you are beautiful." Eddie flashed her his most charming smile. " You told me how beautiful your wedding dress is so I thought that you would want to wear it."

"I do."

"Save those words for later."

"I meant I do want to wear my dress."

"I know that's what you meant." Janet placed her hand on his check.

"You truly are a wonderful, wonderful man." She whispered tearfully.

"I am a truly lucky man to be marrying such a wonderful woman today."

"I gotta go or I will be late for my own wedding." After a quick kiss Janet pulled out of Eddie's arms to go and get ready. Eddie stood and watched until she stepped onto the elevator. Once the doors shut Eddie returned to the honeymoon suite, picked up the bag of rose petals and got back to work.

* * *

One tradition the couple decided to keep was the one where they would not see each other in their wedding attire until Janet was walking down the aisle or in this case sand, to her groom and Eddie was all for this plan. He wanted the image of seeing Janet for the first time in her wedding dress walking to him to forever ingrained in his memory. He knew without a doubt that she would look stunningly beautiful.

Since Janet's wedding dress was delivered to her parent's house and they brought it in their car so it just made sense that she would get ready in her parent's room with her mom, Grams, Judee, Hannah and Lillian and far away from Eddie's eyes. The first thing she did was take a long and relaxing bath with bath oils so her skin would be nice and soft. After her bath and before she got dressed she lathered up with the scented lotion that Eddie loved.

Janet's mom had gotten them appointments at the hotel salon even though Janet insisted that she could do her own hair and makeup. Kat really wanted to do this for her daughter so she went along with it. Along with their hair and makeup the girls also had their finger and toenails done as well. Janet had a French manicure on her fingers and her toes were painted pink, her "official" wedding color with the exception of her pinky toes which were painted blue so she would have her something blue. Her something old was her charm bracelet Eddie got her their first Christmas together. Her new was her dress and something borrowed was her Grams' pearl earrings that Gramps got for her on their twenty fifth anniversary.

"I think you should wear your hair down sweetheart. You look so pretty and elegant when your hair is up off of your neck."

"I'm wearing my hair down mom. I want to be myself in a gorgeous dress." After Eddie told her that he would marry her if she was wearing sweat pants and a holey tee shirt she decided that she was wearing her hair down. "Eddie didn't fall in love with some elegant beauty queen with an up-do. He fell in love with plain ol' me with curly, frizzy hair who is more comfortable in sweats than an evening gown. I'm wearing my hair down because that is how I am most comfortable and Eddie loves my hair down."

"Janet should wear her how she wants to wear it and I would have to agree with Eddie. I love when it she wears it down." Grams added and Janet smiled gratefully at her.

"What are your wedding colors?" The hairdresser asked.

"Pink."

"I could some pink flowers in your hair if you want."

"Let's do that." The hairdresser got to work and thirty minutes later, Janet's hair had perfect ringlet curls. The hairdresser did pin her hair back on the sides and secured it with the pink flowers. Janet loved it and she knew Eddie would love it as well.

Once their hair was done, the girls were waiting for the elevator in the lobby so they could go upstairs and dress. For some reason Janet turned her head to her left and she caught Eddie's eyes. He was staring at her with a small smile playing on his lips. He mouthed "I love you" and Janet mouthed the same as the elevator doors opened seconds before she was ushered inside.

"Why are you so quiet?" Hannah asked once they got off the elevator and were walking to the room.

"No reason. Just thinking."

"You're not having second thoughts are you?" Janet looked horrified.

"No way. I was thinking how right this is." Catching Eddie staring at her downstairs and seeing the love that was on his face when she didn't know that he was actually watching filled her with happiness from her head to the very tips of her toes.

The girls of the Latekka/Meadows wedding party rushed the bride into the hotel room and kicked the father of the bride out so Janet could get ready. Her dress was lying out on the bed and Janet forgot how beautiful it really was. She walked over and ran her fingers over it.

"Sweetie, it is so beautiful." Lillian told her.

"Get it on so we can see the whole package." Hannah said excitedly. Lillian, Judee, Kat and Grams all stepped out into the hall to give Janet some privacy. Hannah stayed in to help with the dress.

Janet slipped out of her shoes, jeans and one of Eddie's flannel shirts. She wore Eddie's shirt because it had buttons and she wouldn't have to pull her shirt over her wedding ready hair. Hannah unzipped the dress and helped Janet step into it, making sure that Janet didn't step on the dress and then she zipped her up.

"Wow." Hannah breathed. "You look amazing."

Janet moved in front of the mirror and looked at herself. For the first time in her life Janet saw a beautiful woman staring back at her. She couldn't find anything wrong with herself. The dress was absolutely perfect. The dress was sleeveless but had straps that were garnished with silver jewels. The top was satin and low cut; lower cut than she had ever worn before. Her backless/strapless bra really pushed her breasts up and made them look much bigger than they actually wore. Eddie was going to love that. The dress had a jeweled empire waist that matched the straps and the chiffon skirt fell to the ground at her ankles and the way her long curls fell set the dress off perfectly.

"This is really happening isn't it?" Janet wondered out loud, staring into the mirror.

"It sure is."

"I am marrying Eddie Latekka today."

"Yes you are."

"Pinch me please so I know that I'm not dreaming."

"I will not pinch you." Hannah turned Janet away from the mirror and faced her. "This is not a dream. This is your dream come true. You are marrying the man that you love in an hour." Tears filled Janet's eyes.

"I just can't believe that we are here. After everything we have been through; after all the hurt, we are getting married."

"True love always finds a way." Before Janet could respond there was a knock at the door.

"Janet, honey are you ready?" Kat called.

"I guess we better let the troops in." Janet said, slowly turning away from the mirror while Hannah went and opened the door and Kat, Judee, Grams, and Lillian rushed in. Everyone stood staring at the bride and then "Ohh's" "Ahh's" and "You are so beautiful" were heard throughout the room.

Since Janet was now ready it was now everyone else's turn to get ready. Hannah and Lillian purchased pink bridesmaids dresses and Nick, Owen, Max, Patrick and Mitch would be wearing a black suit with pink shirts thanks to their wives and mother. Janet wanted the guys to wear pink dress shirts so Hannah, Allison, Kat and Judee made sure it happened and left no room for an argument. Eddie was wearing a classic black tuxedo with a white shirt, black vest and black cavalier neck tie. Janet wanted him to wear a pink tie but he balked. Wearing a pink tie was the one and only thing he refused to do for this wedding. He was still in the childish mindset that pink was for girls. She even tried batting her eyes and asking "For Me?" a technique she uses which usually makes him cave but he refused to give in on the tie so Janet decided not to push the issue. He had done everything else she asked of him so in the long run; the color of his tie was no big deal.

The photographer took turns photographing the groups separately with each group under strict instructions not to leave their room while the photographs of the opposite group was being taken. No one wanted Eddie and Janet to run into each other prior to the wedding. Everyone had fun and the photographer got some good pictures. He posed them in groups and alone and wherever he posed the groom he posed the bride in the same spot. Janet's favorite picture of Eddie ended up being one where he was leaning against a brick wall, legs stretched out in front of him and crossed at the ankles while his hands were in his pockets. Eddie's favorite picture of Janet would become a profile shot of her standing on the balcony of her parent's room, holding her bouquet staring out into the ocean. Both of these pictures end up on their desks at work in the future.

* * *

Janet was just getting ready to head down to the beach when suddenly the sky opened up and it began to pour followed by a big clap of thunder. "What was that?" She asked with a panicked look. Patrick went over to the balcony.

"Looks like we have a storm." Tears filled Janet's eyes when she heard her father's answer.

"But…what about my wedding?" Before anyone could answer the phone in the room rang and it was the wedding planner.

She told Janet in cases where the weather interferes with beach weddings they had two options. The first was they could wait for the weather to pass which according to the weather map, it would rather quickly or they could get married in the hotel. Janet wanted to wait for the weather to pass. The wedding planner was standing downstairs with Eddie who agreed to do whatever Janet wanted. After hanging up with the wedding planner Janet went out to the balcony. She looked so sad and Grams was worried so she followed her.

"Are you okay Janey?" Janet shook her head.

"What about if this storm is a sign Grams? What about if this storm is telling me that Eddie and I shouldn't get married because our life together is going to be stormy?" Grams saw the terror across her granddaughter's face. Grams took Janet's hand.

"Oh Janey. It's the weather. You can't base anything, especially your future on the weather."

"But what if…"

"No what if's young lady. Do you love your fiancé?"

"With my whole heart."

"Do you have any doubts that you are meant to marry Eddie today?" Janet shook her head. "Then stop worrying."

"Easier said than done." Grams sighed.

"Janey I remember the story of your proposal. Eddie told me nothing that night went how he planned it. Is that right?"

"Yeah."

"So why on earth should your wedding be any different?" A smile appeared on Janet's face. "Your relationship has been anything but normal but you guys still fought through it to end up here. Rain or shine, you are meant to marry Eddie. That young man loves you so very much and I know you feel the same and in the end sweetheart, that's all that really matters." Janet hugged her grandmother tightly.

"Thanks Grams."

"You're welcome honey." Grams kissed Janet's cheek. "Did you know that on the day Gramps and I got married it stormed all day? We thought a tornado was going to come."

"Really?"

"Yes really and Gramps and I, we had many wonderful years together."

"I wish he was here Grams. I wish he could have known that Eddie and I would be getting married. I wish her could see me." Grams wiped away her Janet's tears with her handkerchief.

"Don't cry honey. You will ruin your makeup." Janet sniffed and nodded. "First of all he knew that you and Eddie would be getting married. He knew that after meeting Eddie for the first time and even though you two had broken up, your gramps never wavered from that knowledge. He knew you would get back together and one day get married."

"Well he could have told me."

"Would you have listened?"

"No."

"You and Eddie had to find your way back to each other on your own. Now my second and final point is your grandfather is here honey. Gramps is watching over you and he sees how happy you are and how beautiful you look. I gave you those pearls that are in your ears for a reason dear, and it wasn't just so you could have something borrowed. Those pearls were given to me with love. They represent twenty five years of hard work, fights, laughs and most importantly love. We got you from that love. I want you to wear a representation of love; your Gramps' love and hopefully you can feel his love surrounding you today." Janet began to cry again. "Now I already told you to stop crying."

"I love you Grams, so much."

"I love you too honey." Hannah opened the balcony door.

"Janet, Eddie is on the phone."

"Thanks." Janet took her phone from Hannah.

"I'll let you two talk."

"Thanks Grams."

"You two deserve some privacy."

"Not just for the privacy."

"I know Janey." Janet put the phone up to her ear.

"Hey."

"Hiya sweetheart. I was just thinking about you and wanted to hear your voice." Janet's heart began pitter patting the instant she heard his deep, sexy voice. "Are you doing okay with the delay?"

"You know me so well. I did have a few minutes of freaking out but Gram talked me down."

"What did she say?"

"Basically that our entire relationship hasn't gone as planned so why should our wedding be any different?"

"That Grams knows her stuff."

"She always knows what to say to make me feel better; just like you."

"Because we love you. Are you on the balcony?"

"Yep. Watching the rain. It seems to calm me down."

"I'm on the balcony too. Lean over so we can see you."

"No. You can't see me until the wedding."

"Technically we agreed that I wouldn't see you in your dress until the wedding so I can see your head right now. Just stick your head over the balcony."

"I can agree with that." Both Eddie and Janet went to the railing and stuck their heads out over the side, looking for each other.

"Well hello there pretty lady." Eddie said into the phone when he saw his bride.

"Hello handsome." The two of them stared at each other with goofy, love struck smiles. "Hey Eddie?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you have any idea how happy I am to be marrying you?"

"Yeah cause I feel the same way."

"I love you so much."

"I love you too honey." Eddie blew her a kiss. Janet caught it and blew one back to him.

* * *

Twenty minutes after the storm had started it blew over. They waited for another half an hour to allow thing to dry out and then it was time for Eddie and Janet to get married. Eddie, Judee, Kat, Grams and Jason and the pastor who was marrying them took their spot on the beach.

"Are you ready?" The wedding planner asked the bride.

"I think I have been waiting for this my whole leife."

"I'll take that as a yes."

"Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes."

"Okay then." The wedding planner pushed play on the recording of the wedding march she had. Max was the first one to walk down the patch of sand to his brother. Janet couldn't see it but when Max got to his brother the Latekka boys, hugged and clapped each other on the back. Following Max was Lillian and Owen. Before Hannah and Nick walked to the wedding circle, she hugged her best friend.

"I am so happy for you." Hannah told her tearfully. "You deserve every bit of happiness you are finding today."

"Thank you."

"You are going to blow Eddie's mind." Nick told her after he kissed her cheek. "And don't tell Eddie about this kiss on the cheek. He will kick my ass if he knew I got to kiss his bride before him."

"It will remain our secret."

"Secrets on your wedding day? Those usually don't start for a few more years." Hannah joked.

"It's a small one that is saving your husband's ass."

"And I for one am grateful for that."

"Come on Nick." Hannah smiled. The two of them linked arms and headed to the wedding circle.

"You're up next Angel." Patrick said to histo his daughter.

"Yep." They walked to the edge of the path.

"Are you nervous?"

"Not a bit. I know that this marriage is right and it's what I want." Janet slid her pink bride flip flops off next to Eddie's blackEddie's black groom flip flops. When she bought them, Eddie laughed at her but agreed to wear them.

"That boy you found..."

"He's a man daddy."

"Yeah baby girl. He is a man. You found yourself a wonderful man who really loves you. When you and him first got together I'll be honest; I didn't like him. We live in a small town and I knew the boy's reputation and I didn't want him to hurt you."

"He has always been different with me."

"I see that know. I also see how happy he makes you. I have never seen you so happy before Angel and it's because of him. I am forever in his debt for loving my little girl the way she deserves to be loved. I have wanted this day to happen for you for so long and now that's it's here it's everything that I have wished for you honey. You are having the wedding you want. You are marrying the man you are meant to be with and you are loved and honey that's what I have always wanted for you." There were tears in Patrick and Janet's eyes when he was done speaking.

"I love you daddy." Janet wrapped her arms around her father and kissed him. "Just because I am marrying Eddie doesn't mean that I won't need you. You're still my dad and marriage doesn't change that okay?"

"I understand sweetheart."

"It's time Janet." The wedding planner told the bride and Janet looked at her dad.

"Let's do this daddy. Walk me to my future."

"You got it princess." Janet and her father linked arms and he walked her to Eddie.

Eddie was standing next to Nick staring anxiously at the sand path his future wife would be walking towards him on. Nick was saying something but he really wasn't listening. All he could think of was his beautiful Janet. He has had so many images of what she would look like when he saw her and in every image she always looked gorgeous but not one of the images came close to the real thing.

He saw her dad first and his heart started to race at that point. When Janet came into view, he literally lost his breath and for no other reason except that he was happy he began to cry. She told him that the dress she found was perfect and she didn't lie. It was the perfect dress for her and Eddie knew he would remember this moment for the rest of his life. She wore her hair down. While he had always thought that she looked pretty with her hair up he loved it when she wore her hair down . He loved seeing her curls and he loved playing with them. Most women today, straighten their hair but not Janet. She kept her curls long and curly. She didn't follow the crowd. She stayed her own person and that was one of the many reasons that he loved her. As she walked towards him, he never took his brown eyes off of her blue ones.

As Patrick walked Janet towards her groom, she held her head high and the instant she saw him standing on the beach, looking at her with a smile full of love that was reserved only for her she started to cry. He looked so handsome; movie star handsome in his tuxedo. It fit him like a glove and the fact that he had his pant legs rolled up made him that much more delicious but what really melted her heart was the pink cavalier neck tie he was wearing. He told her how he would never be caught dead in pink anything and on his wedding day, but with photographs that would forever document what he wore he wore a pink tie. That simple gesture spoke volumes. He loved her so much that he would do anything for her; even; even wear a pink tie on his wedding day.

When Janet reached her groom she reached out and touched his tie while at the same time he reached out and touched her curls like he did the day in Sully's before their first kiss. "Hi." She whispered.

"Hi." Eddie couldn't resist. He leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on her lips and everyone laughed.

"Would you like to get started?" The pastor asked.

"Yes we would." Janet answered.

"Okay. We all have gathered here to witness a blessed union between Eddie Latekka and Janet Meadows. Now, who gives this woman to this man?"

"Her mother and I do." Patrick spoke. He took Janet's hand, placed it in Eddie's hand. The two men shook hands and before he walked away Janet kissed his cheek. Janet handed her bouquet of Lilly's to Hannah and then joined her second hand with Eddie's and the pastor continued.

The ceremony only lasted about fifteen minutes. Janet and Eddie wanted it short, sweet and to the point. The pastor gave them advice about marriage and love and Max read a poem about love that he got to pick out all by himself. They exchanged their vows with clear and confident voices and they exchanged their rings with steady hands.

"Edward Andrew Latekka, do you take Janet Edith Meadows to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold during sickness and in health; in richer and poorer; the good times and bad until death parts you?"

"Oh yeah." Mitch coughed to get Eddie's attention. "Oh sorry. Yes. I do."

"Janet Edith Meadows, do you take Edward Andrew Latekka to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold during sickness and in health; in richer and poorer; the good times and bad until death parts you?"

"I do. I really, really do." Janet and Eddie exchanged rings and it was done. They were married.

"I know pronounce you man and wife. Eddie, you may now officially kiss your bride."

"My bride." He whispered lovingly, reaching out to cup her cheek. "My beautiful bride."

"Are you going to kiss me or not?"

"I am so going to kiss you." Eddie wrapped his arms around Janet's waist, pulled her to his chest while she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I am going to kiss you so good that it will knock your socks off."

"I'm not wearing any socks."

With a tender smile, Eddie leaned down, Janet lifted her head and their lips met. Their first kiss as husband and wife was slow, sweet and tender. Their mouths were open but there was no tongue action. Eddie's hands moved from her waist, down below her butt. He felt Janet stiffen but before she could pull away he linked his hands together and lifted her up and slowly spun them around in a circle. He felt her smile into the kiss so he spun her once more, never taking his lips from hers.

"I thought you were trying to cop a feel on my butt." Janet whispered when they finally broke apart and Janet's feet were back on the ground.

"I know you did but would be so inappropriate on our wedding day?"

"Yes." Before Eddie could respond the pastor spoke.

"Ladies and gentleman. I would like to introduce for the first time Mrs. Eddie Latekka and Mr. Janet Meadows." Everyone burst out laughing when they heard Mr. Janet Meadows including Janet.

"Maybe it should be your name getting changed." Janet told her husband.

"Maybe I will." Eddie responded with a wink to his wife just before she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him long and hard while their family and friends clapped and cheered.


	36. Chapter 36

Soon after Eddie and Janet were pronounced husband and wife and they shared their first kiss as a married couple their family and friends congratulated them with hugs and kisses, the picture taking resumed. The photographer took a ton of pictures. He took pictures of them together as a married couple, kissing, posing with smiles, and pictures of the two of them looking at each other. Once the pictures of the couple were done he took pictures of the couple with the guests of the wedding; family pictures, pictures with friends and siblings.

"Okay guys, one more shot." The photographer placed Eddie and Janet where he wanted them. "Now everybody gather around them. Bride's family and friends next to Janet and groom's family and friends next to Eddie." With this crew of misfits it proved to be difficult but the finally got it together and the photographer got the final beach shot. The second that picture was captured on film it began to mist. The girls squealed, the guys laughed and they all made their way back to the hotel. Eddie being the gentleman that he was removed his suit jacket and held it over Janet's head so she wouldn't get wet.

"Wait a second." Eddie said softly grabbing Janet's hand. They were safely out of harm's way back at the hotel.

"You guys coming?" Nick asked.

"In a minute." Eddie watched as Nick and Hannah went inside.

"Is everything…" Janet started to ask but Eddie cut her off with a very passionate kiss and this time their tongues were very active.

"Wow." Janet breathed when they pulled away from each other.

"Now that is what I am talking about." Eddie said proudly. "I wanted to kiss you like that on the beach but then I thought that my brother and your dad were there and I REALLY did not to kiss you like that in front of them; especially your dad. He may have shot me."

"Nah. We are married now so he won't shot you but it would have been creepy playing tonsil hockey in front of our families but since no one is around now would be the perfect time." Janet grabbed his tie, pulled his face down to hers and the newlyweds engaged in another round of tonsil hockey. When they finally broke apart, they looked into each other's eyes and smiled. "Do you have any idea how good…no scratch that. Do you have any idea how hot you look?"

"Yep. I did look in the mirror."

"Seriously Eddie. You look amazing and you changed your tie. You told me that you would never be caught dead in a pink tie." She was running her fingers over his tie as they spoke. "What made you change your mind?"

"You did. You wanted me to wear it and baby, I will do anything for you; even wear a pink tie." Tears filled Janet's eyes. "Hey. Today is the happiest day of our lives. No tears sweetheart."

"They are happy tears." Eddie leaned down and kissed away the few tears that had fallen on her cheeks.

"By the way, you look absolutely stunning. I have never seen anything more beautiful than you are today. "

"Thank you."

"And this." Eddie ran a finger over the breasts that were overflowing out of her dress. "This cleavage…wow. Do you have any idea how hot you look?"

"I thought that you would like that part of the dress."

"You know I do. Your boobs…wow. That's all I got." Eddie looked like he was going to start drooling any minute.

"I was starting to think that you didn't notice."

"Are you kidding me? Of course I noticed your boobs. I always notice your boobs." Eddie leaned down and pressed a check against Janet's cheek so he could whisper in her ear. "How about we sneak off to our room and get our honeymoon started?" Eddie's breath against her face gave her goose bumps.

"As great as that sounds I think our guests would notice our absence."

"You think?"

"Eddie, Janet are you guys coming? I'm starving." Max called from the doorway.

"Yeah. I think so." Janet answered with a laugh.

"All right. Let's go." The couple linked hands and followed Max inside.

* * *

The wedding dinner took longer than it should have because there was a lot of laughter, talking and kissing and the kissing was done by Eddie and Janet. Like all receptions the guests were tapping their glasses with silverware, signaling the bride and groom to kiss and they did it quite often and Eddie and Janet made sure always complied with their guests requests.

"Dance with me." Eddie demanded of his bride. The dinner plates had been cleared and they were all letting their food digest before the wedding cake dessert was brought out. They had the room to their selves and there was slow piano music coming out of the speakers along with a small dance floor.

"If you insist." Eddie pulled Janet's chair out, took her hand and lead her to the dance floor. Eddie wrapped his arms around her waist and Janet wrapped her arms around his neck and together they slowly swayed to the music.

"I always thought that our first dance would be to a song with words." Janet told him with a smile.

"We'll have that dance at our reception."

"This is perfect."

"It sure is."

"I remember a time when you would not dance with me."

"Before you came into my life, I hated dancing but you wanted to dance so I danced and it turns out, I enjoy dancing with you and only you."

"Is there anything that you won't do for me?"

"Not a thing."

"I hope you know that I would do anything for you as well."

"I know." With a tender smile Eddie leaned down and kissed his bride while their friends and family cheered them on.

"Cake's here." Owen called out and Eddie and Janet reluctantly pulled apart and returned to the table.

"Oh. It's so pretty." Janet whispered.

"Would you like to cut the cake or would you like to cut it yourself?" The waitress asked.

"It doesn't matter to me." Eddie answered looking at Janet who told the waitress to cut the cake.

"While the cake is being cut, I would like to make a toast to my husband." Janet announced, picking up her champagne glass and turning to her husband.

"A toast for me?"

"Eddie, when I was a little girl I used to love fairy tales. Actually I loved the idea of the prince and the princess falling in love and living happily ever after and I used to dream about my happily ever after. Well I can officially stop dreaming because I have found my happily ever after. You and our life together is my happily ever after." Eddie leaned down and kissed his wife. "Anyway, as I was saying before I was rudely interrupted …" Eddie grinned. "You have changed my life Eddie Latekka for the better. The love you have for me has made me a better person. There isn't a moment that passes that I don't feel your love and I now know how those princesses in the fairy tales must have felt." Janet linked her free hand in his. "Our relationship hasn't always been easy and we have had our fair share of ups and downs but through those ups and downs I have seen your ability to love and forgive." Eddie gave a slight nod."I love you Eddie Latekka. I love you with all that I have inside of me and I am going to spend every day of the rest of my life showing you that. Thank you Eddie, for giving me my happily ever after." Janet clinked her glass to her husband's glass. "Here is to our happily ever after, starting right now."

"Okay, now it's my turn." Eddie told the group. "I have a history of dating the wrong kind of women and for a awhile it was fun but it wasn't enough. These girls weren't the total package. It wasn't until a friend told me that maybe I should look for a different kind of girl and suddenly it was clear to me. The different, better girl, the girl that was the total package had been right in front of me the whole time. I asked her out, she eventually said yes and the rest is history." Eddie reached out and wrapped a finger around one of Janet's curls. "Thank you for opening my eyes and saying yes to a date with me. Asking you out was hands down the best choice that I have ever made and you accepting was the best thing that has ever happened to me. Janet, you are my whole life. You mean everything to me and today, I am the luckiest man in the world because you became my wife." This time Eddie clinked his glass to Janet's. "Here is to the beginning of forever." Instead of drinking their champagne they shared a slow kiss.

"I love you." Janet whispered when they broke apart.

"I love you more."

"No you don't."

"Oh yes I do."

"No way."

"Yes way."

"Let's finish this argument later okay?"

"We will because this is one argument that I will win."

"No you won't." They laughed at sat back down as their friends and family clapped.

"Hmmm. This looks good." They had ordered a chocolate cake with a cherry filling, a favorite of both of theirs.

"Now remember your promise." Janet warned. The two of them promised each other that they would not smear cake on each other's face. They promised to feed the first bite to each other nicely.

"I remember and I'm not going to break a promise to you a couple hours into our marriage. Now don't you go breaking your promise."

"I won't." Janet cut a piece of cake, turned to her husband and placed the fork in his mouth.

"Wow." Eddie said after he swallowed his bite. "Now, it's your turn darling." Eddie cut a bite off of his own piece of cake and fed it to Janet.

"Hmmm. Delicious." Janet mumbled.

"You got a little chocolate right…oh never mind I'll get it." Eddie leaned forward and kissed her softly.

"Thank you for taking care of me."

* * *

The bride and groom decided to call it a night about an hour later, about eight o'clock. Granted it was still early but it had been a long day and Eddie and Janet were anxious to get their honeymoon started. The hotel had a great pool with slides and a diving board so those that didn't have anything better to do in their rooms could go swimming.

"Janet and I want to thank everyone for making the trip and being part of our wedding." Eddie and Janet were standing at the head of the table, holding hands.

"Your presence here today, made our special day, even more special. It's means so much to both of us that we could share this day with you."

"Now my wife and I would like to say goodnight so we can get our honeymoon started." Janet instantly turned red and she glared at her husband who just smiled sweetly.

It took another fifteen minutes before the newlyweds were able to make it to the elevator because they had to hug each of their guests goodnight. Max wasn't letting them go easily. He wanted his brother and new sister to come swimming with him and it took a few minutes to convince Max that they were tired and just wanted to go to bed.

"I can't believe that you told everyone that we wanted to get our honeymoon started." Janet whispered as they waited for an elevator.

"Why not? It was the truth."

"Well yeah but now everyone…"

"Everyone what?"

"Now everyone knows what we will be doing." The redness to her cheeks had returned and Eddie thought it was adorable.

"Babe, we are on our honeymoon. Everyone knows what we will be doing even without me telling them."

"I know."

"Don't think about what other people are thinking about. Just think about you and me."

"I can do that." Before Eddie had a chance to kiss her again, the elevator door opened and they stepped inside. The door closed and Eddie hit the button for the eleventh floor. Once the elevator began to move Eddie wrapped his arms around her waist, pushed her back against the wall and kissed her until the elevator stopped on the eleventh floor.

"We need to go." Janet whispered breathlessly once she managed to disconnect her lips from Eddie's.

"In a second." Eddie mumbled before placing his lips back on Janet's and she was powerless to break away from his embrace. Just standing there kissing felt amazing. Suddenly the door shut and the elevator began to move down. Eddie pulled away from Janet laughing.

"We missed our stop." He winked at her. "Oh well." He leaned forward to resume kissing his bride but Janet placed her hands on his chest to stop him.

"No more kissing until we get to our room. We already missed our floor once and now since we are going down, there is a chance that more people will join us."

"We can stop when the door opens."

"Yeah. Cause that worked really well for us." Eddie stuck out his bottom lip in a pout but Janet stuck to her guns. "Sorry dude. You'll just have to be patient." Giving up Eddie gave an over-exaggerated sigh and moved beside Janet, leaning against the wall of the elevator. Janet watched as he began to twist his wedding ring around his finger. He looked over and caught her looking at his hand.

"It feels weird. I'm not used to wearing it yet." Eddie wrapped an arm around his wife and pulled her close to him. "It may feel weird but it feels perfect. This wedding ring was meant to be on my finger." Now Janet couldn't resist. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him quickly.

When the elevator got to the lobby the doors opened and Nick, Hannah and Sam stepped in. A look of surprise crossed their faces when they saw the couple. Eddie shrugged his shoulders. "We missed our floor." He explained and Nick burst out laughing as Janet turned bright red.

"How did you miss your floor?" Sam asked and Eddie watched as Janet's face turned redder than he had ever seen it.

"Sam…" Hannah began but Eddie interrupted.

"We were kissing." Eddie told the child. He had nothing to be ashamed of and there was nothing wrong with kissing.

"Oh." A grin crossed Sam's face.

Nick, Hannah and Sam got off on the ninth floor. Hannah gave Janet a hug and Nick wished them an enjoyable evening, making Eddie grin. He planned on having an enjoyable evening; a very enjoyable evening. The ride up two floors up went quickly and this time, Eddie and Janet got off of the elevator.

"Come on." Eddie grabbed Janet's hand and they ran down to their room, laughing like kids. When they got to their room, Eddie unlocked the door. As Janet started to go in the door, Eddie put his arm out to make her stay.

"What's wrong?" Eddie didn't answer her. He pocketed the key, held the door open with his foot and before Janet could react or protest Eddie lifted her into his arms and carried his bride over the threshold of their room, kissing her the entire time. "Oh my God. Will you put be down before you break your back?" Janet gasped when they broke apart. Eddie gently placed her back on her feet.

"Shut up. I will not break my back."

"I always dreamed about being carried over the threshold." She admitted softly.

"I kinda figured when you were talking about fairy tales." Eddie reached out and turned on a small overhead light that lit the room just enough for Janet to see what needed to be seen and when she saw it she gasped. On the floor were rose petals that led to the bed and on the turned down bed the petals spelled out _**"FOREVER"**_.

"Is this what you were doing in here earlier?" She asked him tearfully and he nodded.

"I know that it's cheesy but …"

"No Eddie. It's not cheesy at all. In fact, it is perfect." Eddie stood behind Janet and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"I'm glad you like it." The bride turned her head and they shared another kiss. "So what do you say we get this honeymoon started?" Eddie asked with a twinkle in his brown eyes.

"Sounds great but I want a picture of what you did." Janet slipped from his arms, grabbed her camera and took a couple pictures of the floor and the bed and then together the two of them cleaned up the rose petals.

"I have one more surprise for you." Eddie said kind of shyly. Janet watched as he went to the closet and pulled out his guitar. "You wanted a love song so I am going to play you one." Janet sat on the bed while Eddie arranged himself in a chair.

"You learned a love song?"

"Nope. I learned Mary Had a Little Lamb and I changed the words. It's the best that I could do." Slowly and awkwardly, Eddie began strumming Mary Had a Little Lamb.

"I married Janet today"  
"Janet today"  
"Janet today"  
"I married Janet today"  
"And I'm going to love her al…ways." Abruptly, Eddie stopped playing and looked at Janet who was beaming. She held out her arms; Eddie set his guitar down and entered her arms, both of them falling back onto the bed.

"That was the most beautiful song that I have ever heard."

"No it wasn't. It was stupid."

"There is no love song in the world that is better." Janet ran her hand over his chiseled face. "We haven't even been married for twelve hours and you are already the world's best husband."

For the next hour, Eddie and Janet laid side by side on the bed, fully clothed simply kissing and whispered words of love to each other. There was no rush to get down to business and they enjoyed the simplicity of just being close to each other.

"Are you ready to take this to the next level Mrs. Latekka?"

"I believe I am ready Mr. Meadows." Eddie sat up and pulled Janet up with him.

"Eddie this has truly been the best day of my life." She began as she loosened his tie. "When I was in high school I had such a crush on you. I used to doodle in my notebooks Mrs. Eddie Latekka and today, I actually became Mrs. Eddie Latekka. It really is a dream come true."

"Maybe I didn't doodle in my notebook Mr. Janet Meadows but today, my dreams came true." Eddie was pulling the pins out of her hair. "Do you know when I knew that we had something special?"

"No." Janet was unbuttoning his vest. His tie had already been removed and tossed on the floor.

"When I went to New York to get Owen after our first kiss. Nick had this ridiculously hot girl house or apartment sitting for him. I flirted with her just because I knew it would piss Nick off which was nothing new but it didn't go any further than flirting. The next night we went to a club to get O and she was really coming on to me. Janet, I could have easily gone back to Nick's place with her but instead I walked away and called you. I knew that I didn't want to be with anyone but you."

"Really? That soon?"

"Yep. And when I said that I didn't want to be with anyone but you, that will always be true. It will always be you Janet. Forever." Eddie had removed the hair pins and was running his fingers through her hair and down to her back where he found her zipper.

"I like the sound of forever." Janet slipped off Eddie's shirt and vest while Eddie unzipped Janet's dress and slipped it off of her shoulders.

"Wow. This is pretty." Eddie whispered, running his fingers across Janet's backless/strapless bra. "I like it." He reached behind her and unsnapped it.

"I thought you would like it." Janet leaned forward and kissed his bare chest as Eddie pulled her bra off and tossed it.

"I like it better on the floor." Janet giggled as Eddie pushed her down on her back. Eddie's lips began to kiss her neck; slow kisses that gave her chills. From her neck he moved down to the cleft between her breasts. "You smell so good." He mumbled.

"I'm wearing your favorite lotion."

"I like." Just then Eddie moved his head to the right and placed his mouth on her breast, bringing a small moan forth from Janet. With his left hand he reached over and began to caress her other breast. "You like?" Eddie asked, lifting his head briefly when her moans increased.

"I love." With a self-satisfied grin Eddie returned his attention to her breasts. He loved her breasts. He loved the way her breasts felt in his hands and under his mouth. He loved the way her nipples hardened as soon as he looked at them and he loved how the caresses with his hands and tongue made her feel.

Eventually Eddie moved away from her breasts and kissed his down her stomach. The feel of his eye lashes brushing against her flushed skin made Janet tingle. As he worked his way down her body he continued to pull her dress along with him but when he got to her waist he could pull no further. "Can you lift up for me babe?" Janet responded by lifting her butt off of the bed and Eddie slid her dress down to her thighs. "Pretty panties. Are they new?" Eddie was admiring the white lace panties Janet was wearing.

"I bought them just for today."

"We need to get married more often because I am loving your undergarments."

"I'll just make sure that I continue to buy pretty undergarments."

"I would appreciate that." Eddie slipped his fingers inside her underwear and slipped them and her dress off and dropped them on the floor.

"My mom is going to kill you for dropping my dress on the floor."

"I really don't want to talk about your mother right now." Eddie pushed her legs apart. "In fact I don't to do any talking at all." Eddie lowered his head in between her legs and Janet let out a breathy sigh when his tongue made contact with her most intimate part. By this point Janet was so turned on that it didn't take long before she was crying out in pleasure but that one orgasm wasn't enough for him. He wanted Janet to get as much from this night as he could possibly give her so before she came down from her first orgasm he began to work his magic with both his fingers and mouth. Janet was in heaven. There wasn't a moment when she wasn't moaning in pleasure or sighing and when she finally broke again, this orgasm was better than her first. When Janet finally stopped shaking he kissed his way back up her body. "Did you enjoy that?" He asked, hovering above her. Janet reached out, pulled him down to her face and kissed him.

"Did that answer your question?"

"Yep it did."

"Mr. Meadows, I would appreciate it if you got out of those pants of yours."

"Of course Mrs. Latekka." Eddie stood and as he got out of his pants and boxers he stared at the woman lying on the bed. Her curls were spread out on the pillow; her lips were swollen from all of the kisses that they had shared; there was a thin layer of sweat covering her body along with a red flush of happiness and on her face was the beautiful smile he loved seeing. He was one lucky man.

As Eddie stripped out of his dress pants Janet watched him. She couldn't get over how handsome he was. His chest was perfectly sculpted. He had the perfect size muscles and just enough chest hair. His legs were long and muscular and his butt was perfect. In her mind Eddie Latekka, her husband was perfect in every way. She looked into his brown eyes and saw that they were full of love and Janet knew without a doubt that she was loved as much as person could be loved by her very own perfect "Prince Charming."

"I want to try something." Eddie had climbed back onto the bed and was on his knees. Janet reached her hand out and he pulled her into a sitting position. "Are you game?"

"Whatever you want sweetheart."

"Okay. I'm going to stay on my knees and I want you to straddle me." Janet did as her husband instructed. "Are you good?"

"Perfect." Eddie positioned himself at her entrance.

"Okay. Come on down."Janet sank down on top of Eddie and they both groaned in delight. "Oh my God." Eddie cried.

"Wow." Janet wrapped her arms around his neck while Eddie's went around her waist and instinctively Janet began to move and Eddie followed suit. In this position, they were able to kiss and Janet's breasts rubbed against Eddie's chest, adding more stimulation.

During their relationship, they had tried many different positions. Some worked well and some didn't work at all and in those cases they just ended up laughing. Tonight, the position that they were in was by far the most amazing, intimate and sensual one to date. They felt closer to each than ever before, physically and emotionally.

After Janet cried out in pleasure Eddie was on the verge of losing control. He couldn't keep this position any longer. He placed his hand on her back and they fell back onto the bed and that change in position caused Eddie to lose what little control he had. In no time at all he was calling out his wife's name as he body convulsed in pleasure.

* * *

Janet and Eddie were lying on their stomachs in bed, completely stated and content facing each other. They had been talking and kissing while soft music that Eddie had found on a music channel played in the background. So far, this night had been better than either of them had envisioned. `

"Can I ask you something?" Janet asked.

"You know you can ask me anything."

"Do you ever wish that I was the only one that you have ever had sex with?"

"There is no point in wishing for something that will never happen. We can't turn back the clock." He lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed it softly.

"Grams and Gramps, they were married for sixty two years and they were each other's first, last and only. Can you imagine that? I wish that I had a crystal ball that would have allowed me to see into the future. I would have made different choices then I could have been your first, last and only for sixty some years."

"I would give anything for you and I to be each other's first, last and only but we can't change the past so the way I look at it is that you are the first married woman I have slept with and you will be the last and only married woman I will sleep with or make love to."

"I love the way that sounds." Eddie grinned proudly. "Wow. You really are the perfect husband."

"It's easy when I have the perfect wife." Janet sat up, rolled Eddie over and straddled his stomach. She leaned down and placed her hands on either side of his shoulders.

"So what are your thoughts on making love to a married woman?"

"Best sex I ever had. What did you think of making love to a married man?"

"I've only done it once so I don't have enough information to give my opinion one way or another."

"I suggest that we fix that because I want to know your opinion." Next thing Janet knew Eddie had grabbed her wrists and flipped her onto her back and he was on top of her.

"You are such a cave man." Janet told him, laughing.

"Me husband. You wife. Husband want sex with wife." With a growl, Eddie covered Janet's lips with his own and the newly married couple made love slowly and tenderly.


	37. Chapter 37

Eddie and Janet were sound asleep, lying butt to butt when the phone in their honeymoon suite rang at eight o'clock in the morning. Eddie groaned while Janet reached over and picked up the phone. "Hello?" She mumbled sleepily.

"Good morning Mrs. Latekka. This is the front desk with your wake up call." Even though she was exhausted she couldn't help but smile when she was called Mrs. Latekka.

"Thank you." Janet hung up the phone, rolled over and wrapped her arms around her husband. "Good morning husband." Eddie just grunted so Janet began to kiss is neck and shoulder.

"Too early." Eddie is not a morning person and not falling asleep until late was not helping the situation.

"I know it is honey but we promised to have breakfast with everyone before they left today."

"No you promised." Janet bit back a sigh. She knew that when she agreed to breakfast this morning that it would be a challenge getting Eddie out of bed

"You are acting like a child."

"I'm tired. Someone kept me up half the night."

"In more ways than one." Janet quipped and Eddie had to fight not to smile. "Come on babe. We have the whole week to sleep in. It's just one day." Janet rolled him over on his back. "Please honey? It would make your wife very happy."

"Oh you are so going to have to do better." Smiling Janet reached under the blankets and began to stroke his morning erection.

"I need to get a shower." She whispered. "I may need some help with those hard to reach places." With a wink, she rolled out of bed and walked naked to the bathroom. "If you decide to come in and give me a hand, I will make it worth your while." Eddie sure wasn't going to let this opportunity pass. He jumped out of bed and followed his wife into the bathroom.

* * *

The newlyweds arrived at the dining room for breakfast with their friends and family fifteen minutes after the scheduled time because their shower took longer than expected and they were greeted with knowing smiles from their friends. There were two seats left at the table; one next to Max that was obviously meant for Janet and one in between Nick and Owen which was meant for Eddie. The groom complained a bit but it was quickly squashed when Nick told him that they could have chosen their seats if they were on time. Eddie knew if he kept up the complaints that Nick and Owen would have asked him why they were late which would have embarrassed his wife and if that happened there would be hell to pay so he shut his mouth, took his seat and enjoyed his breakfast.

"So what are your plans for the week?" Patrick asked the couple. Breakfast was finished and everyone was enjoying a cup of coffee before they hit the road.

"Well we each picked two things that we wanted to do and after that we are going to play it by ear." Eddie answered his father in law. "My choices are fishing and golfing."

"Janet agreed to golf?" Lillian asked in surprise.

"She doesn't have a choice. That was the deal."

"And I picked the aquarium and the indoor water park." Janet announced.

"Hey, me and Sam are going to the water park today before we go home." Max informed them.

"He talked me into it." Judee admitted. "And of course he insisted that his best buddy Sam come along with us."

"You guys should come with us." Eddie was hoping that idea wouldn't occur to Max because he wanted to spend the entire day in bed with his with his wife.

"Max, son, Eddie and Janet just got married and they want to spend time alone." Mitch tried to explain to his youngest son and Eddie appreciated it even though it wouldn't work.

"But they are going so we should all go together. It would be a lot more fun if Eddie and Janet come with us."

"Max has a point Eddie. We are planning on going anyway so we as well go together."

"Why not?" Eddie said with a shrug.

"Yipee." Sam and Max both cheered.

A half an hour later, everyone but Max, Sam, Judee and Mitch had left and Eddie and Janet were on their way back down to the lobby after they had changed into their swim suits. "Hey baby?" Janet said, taking his hand in hers.

"Yeah?"

"Are you okay with spending the day at the water park?"

"Yeah. It's our deal and the water park is what you picked."

"You know that's not what I mean. I really didn't give you a choice in the matter when I agreed with Max."

"If I didn't want to go then I would have said so."

"I don't believe you."

"I've told Max no before when it came to him intruding on our time together."

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have put you on the spot like that baby but Max looked so excited and it really sounded like fun."

"Would I rather spend the first day of our honeymoon in our bed making love? You know damn well I would but like you said, we have a whole week here and that gives us lots of time to make love."

"We will use that time wisely. I promise."

"Janet next to you, Max is the most important person in my life and I know how much you love him and that means more to me than you than you know and for that reason and that reason only is why I am willing to forgo my original plan today." The elevator stopped in the lobby and they stepped out.

"I really do love Max. I love him with my whole heart."

"Hey. You are supposed to love me with your whole heart."

"Silly man. A woman's heart is capable of loving more than one person and I love Max with all of my heart, like a big sister loves her little brother."

"You are a great sister .Max is lucky to have you."

"I'm the lucky one. I've gained a husband and a pretty great brother all in one day." Eddie set their bag on the ground and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to him.

"Well Max and I got pretty lucky in the wife and sister department too." He smiled tenderly at her before leaning in for a kiss.

"Mom look there they are." They heard Max during their kiss but they didn't break the kiss until Max pulled them apart. "Geez. You guys are kissing a lot."

"That's what married people do Max." Janet said laughing.

"Mom and dad are married and they don't kiss as much as you guys do."

"Cause they're old and old people don't like to kiss." Max burst out laughing.

"We are not old and your father and I kiss all of the time. In fact…"

"No." Eddie interrupted. "No. I do not want to hear it."

"Hear what?"

"Nothing. Come on. Let's go swimming." The six of them walked out of the hotel laughing.

Eddie and Janet's first official day as husband and wife spent at the indoor water park was fun even though they weren't alone. Since Sam was there Max had a buddy and didn't monopolize Janet like Eddie had thought he would so husband and wife were able to spend time together. It was a fun day. Eddie and Janet rode the slides with each other, with Sam, Max, Judee, and Mitch. Eddie's favorite slide was a pitch black slide. He loved it because Janet had to cling to him because it was so dark that they couldn't see anything. Janet's favorite was the lazy river. She and Eddie floated hand and hand down the river. After they left the water park, Eddie's parents and the boys went home while the newlyweds returned to their room where they made love, showered and went to dinner. The night ended with an evening stroll on the beach and early bed.

* * *

On Monday, Eddie got his wish. He and his wife spent the entire day in their room. Eddie woke up alone in bed. He rolled over and from their bed, he saw his wife outside on their balcony sitting curled up in a chair, holding a cup of coffee looking out at the ocean. She looked so beautiful and Eddie wanted to capture this moment so as quietly as he could he grabbed the camera and snapped a picture of his bride and then the two of them began their day together out on the balcony wrapped in each other's arms. Whenever they were hungry, they ordered meals and snacks from room service and their day ended, just as it began; wrapped in each other's arms.

Tuesday was golfing day. They slept in took their time getting ready and after a late breakfast/early lunch before they hit the golf course. Since she was so bad at it and didn't want to ruin Eddie's good time she didn't golf at all. She played the role of caddie; a very basic caddy meaning she drove the golf cart and handed Eddie his clubs after he told her which one he needed and Janet enjoyed herself. After they were done golfing they changed their clothes, went out to dinner and ended the third day of their honeymoon with a walk on the beach.

On Wednesday it was raining when they woke up so it was decided that it would be the best day to visit the aquarium. Eddie really had no desire spend his day looking at fish in a giant fish tank but he was going to go with a smile because it's what Janet wanted to do. She was such a great sport the day before golfing so he owed it to her to give her a good day and honestly it wasn't as bad as he thought it was going to be but he didn't enjoy it nearly as much as Janet did. She read every word on every plaque about every fish in the place and then told him what she had just read and as any good husband would do, he did his best to be interested. After leaving the aquarium they decided to go shopping or more accurately Janet did the shopping while Eddie carried her bags. Janet was not a person that spent money frivolously so Eddie had to talk her into buying what she ended up buying. The only thing she bought without Eddie having to convince her to buy was picture frames. She bought some picture frames that she would put pictures from the wedding in and give them away as thank you gifts. After they were done shopping they went to dinner at a seafood restaurant right on the beach. They sat outside on the patio that overlooked the ocean as they enjoyed their dinner.

Thursday was their fishing day. They had decided the day before that they would be on the noon charter so that way they didn't have to get up early and rush around. Eddie loved to fish and couldn't wait to actually fish in the ocean and Janet had fished with her dad when she was growing up so she was excited as well. They were booked on a four hour "cruise" and they had a blast. Both of them caught a bunch of fish and it soon became a competition between the two of them on who would get the bigger fish. Eddie ended up winning simply because he was stronger. Janet had a few really big ones on her line but she wasn't strong enough to pull them in and ended up losing them but she did catch a baby shark, which made up for losing to Eddie. After their boat docked safely they returned to their room and spent the rest of the evening relaxing.

Friday was the last day of their honeymoon and since they had no specific plans Janet wanted to do something romantic for the two of them. After talking to the concierge Janet came up with the perfect way to spend their last afternoon of the honeymoon. Janet ordered a picnic lunch from the hotel and got directions for a secluded part of beach known only to the locals and special guests of the hotel.

Janet rented a four wheeler and then insisted on driving since she was the one with the directions. Eddie tried to talk her into letting him drive and when she refused he pointed out that she was wearing a dress and that she shouldn't drive while wearing a dress. Janet countered with the fact that whether she sat in the front or back she was still in a dress and the most important fact was she knew where they were going and he did not. Finally, Eddie grudgingly relented.

"Do you actually know how to work this thing?" Eddie asked as Janet situated herself on the four-wheeler.

"I had a life before you Latekka." Janet told him with a wink. "Make sure the picnic basket is strapped in."

"Yes ma'am." With a chuckle Eddie double checked the straps holding the picnic basket in place. Once he did what his wife asked of him he climbed up behind Janet leaned forward and kissed her exposed neck.

"That won't work. You are not driving."

"I wasn't trying to seduce you into letting me drive. I just wanted to kiss you." Janet turned her upper body towards Eddie.

"Do you want to kiss me again?" Eddie nodded and Janet leaned forward and kissed him softly.

When they broke apart Janet turned around and started the four-wheeler. Eddie wrapped his arms around Janet's waist and she took off. Their secluded picnic spot was very secluded and it took forty five minutes to get there but it was well worth the drive. It was a small cove surrounded by rocks.

"Wow." Janet had turned off the four-wheeler and was watching the waves break over the rocks. "This is amazing."

"This is great Janet. It really is." Eddie climbed off the four-wheeler and then helped Janet off and kissed her. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. You've done so many sweet and wonderful things for me this week so I figured that it was my turn to do something sweet and wonderful for you." Eddie grinned and kissed his wife. When they broke apart Eddie grabbed the picnic basket; Janet grabbed the blankets and they found a cozy spot for their picnic. Once they found their spot and spread a blanket out Eddie sat down and Janet made herself comfortable in between his legs, against his chest.

"I'm starving. What's in the basket?" Eddie said reaching for the picnic basket.

"Hands off." Janet playfully slapped his hand away so she could open the basket herself. "Okay, we have your favorite, turkey sandwiches." Janet pulled out two wrapped sandwiches. "And some potato salad." Next she pulled out two wine glasses along with a bottle of wine. "And finally, something to wash it down with." She handed Eddie the bottle of wine and corkscrew. "You need to open it."

"Anything for dessert?" He asked.

"Actually, there is." Janet pulled out a plate of brownies.

"Perfect. I love brownies."

"You love any junk food."

"Damn right I do." At that moment, Eddie pulled out the corkscrew. "Ta Da, We have wine."

"My hero." With a cocky grin Eddie leaned forward and the two shared a slow kiss.

An hour later, they had finished their lunch and half the bottle of wine. After repacking the picnic basket Janet snuggled up against Eddie's chest while he covered them with a second blanket that Janet brought with them and finally, he wrapped his arms around her. Janet was sitting sideways so it was very easy for the two of them to comfortably share kisses which they were doing plenty of.

"I have told you how pretty you look today?" Janet was wearing a casual blue dress that went to her ankles with a short sleeve white sweater over it and her hair was pulled back in a French braid.

"I think so but a girl can never hear it enough." Eddie had removed the ponytail holder at the end of her braid and was slowly unbraiding her hair.

"You look very pretty today."

"Thank you."

"But…"

"But? Really? How can you tell me I am pretty but add a but in there?"

"I was just going to say that I prefer your hair down."

"You prefer?" Janet asked with a quirked eyebrow and Eddie smiled sheepishly.

"I know that sounds really bad and I'm not trying to be a jerk. I know that it's your hair and you are going to wear it how you want and you should. I just wanted you to know that I love it when you wear your hair down. It's my favorite."

"I know it is. I only braided it so it wouldn't be in your face during the ride out here."

"I love running my fingers through your curls."

"I love it when you run your fingers through my hair."

"Well then I don't want to disappoint." With a grin, the leaning into each other, Eddie cupped her cheek with one hand, threaded his second hand in her curls as he pressed his lips to hers, falling back onto the blanket in the process.

"This is perfect, isn't it?" Janet mumbled against her husband's neck after they broke their embrace.

"Perfect." Now it was Eddie mumbling against Janet's neck.

"I wish we could stay in this moment forever."

"We could but we would sure miss out on the better things that are going to happen like our children that we are going to have and Jasper. You would really miss Jasper."

"I would miss Jasper."

"And he would miss us."

"I'm scared Eddie." Concern filled Eddie's brown eyes at Janet's admission.

"Of what sweetheart? Of us falling apart because that is not going to happen ever again. Do you know why?"

"Why?" Janet asked

"You and me; we've got a good thing going here."

"Yes we do." She agreed but Eddie didn't seem to hear her. He kept talking.

"Janet, you complete me and I can't be without you. I need you more than the air I breathe so you are not going anywhere. Will we fight? I'm planning on it but we ARE NOT going to fall apart."

"I know that Eddie. I never doubted that we would fall apart."

"Then what are you scared of?"

"Of getting pregnant again. I'm afraid of losing another baby." Eddie tightened his arms around her.

"Oh baby."

"I want babies with you. I want lots of babies but there is that part of me that is terrified that I will miscarry again. I don't know how your mom did it. I'm not as strong as she is." There were tears swimming in her blue eyes.

"You are a very strong woman sweetheart."

"If I am like your mom and I can't carry a baby will you still want to be married to me?" There it was; her greatest fear. She was afraid of losing her husband if she couldn't give him children. "Will you still love me?"

"Yes honey. 100% yes. Nothing will ever change the way I feel about you." He wiped her tears away. "Miscarriages aren't that uncommon and just because you had one doesn't mean that you will end up like my mom. Quit thinking about the worst case scenario. Think positive baby but whatever happens, I will be there to support you. If you can't carry our baby then we will find another way to have kids and I will never stop loving you because of that. Do you hear me?"

"I hear you loud and clear." Janet pulled Eddie over so his upper body was on top of her upper body. "I love you Eddie, so very much."

"I know you do and I love you as well." Eddie leaned down to kiss her but Janet stopped him. "What? You don't want a kiss?"

"I want more than a kiss." Eddie pulled back and looked at Janet with a grin.

"What are you suggesting Mrs. Latekka?"

"Make love to me."

"Are you serious?" Eddie had hoped for this and he was even physically ready for it but he never thought in a million years she would go for it so he never even suggested it.

"Totally serious. "

"We're in public baby."

"I am very aware where we are. We've been here for a couple of hours and no one else has showed up. We are in the middle of nowhere so I think that we will be safe and we don't have to get totally naked. I am wearing a dress so I guess you can say its easy access and we have a blanket to cover us just in case someone would have the nerve to interrupt us." Halfway through Janet's explanation, Eddie's hand began to travel under her dress, up her leg."Are you up for it Latekka?"

"Oh I am totally up for it. Can't you tell?"

"Is that what that is?"

"Very funny." Eddie sat back on his knees, pulled Janet's underwear off and tossed them over his shoulder. After Eddie got himself ready he pulled the blanket up over his shoulder, dropped to his elbows and pushed into h is wife.

They made love slowly on the beach with the sound of the waves crashing around them. They lost themselves in each other. It was the perfect way to end their perfect honeymoon. It became a tender memory that they would always carry with them.

* * *

The next morning, Janet drug her husband out of bed so they could be out on the beach to watch the sun rise and even the man who thought it should be illegal to wake up while it was still dark enjoyed watching the sun rise with his wife and Janet took lots of pictures so they would remember it. Once the sun was in the sky, they returned to the hotel, ordered one final meal from room service which they enjoyed out on their balcony.

The first stop they made after they arrived back in Knights Ridge was Phil's house so they could pick up their dog. When Phil opened the door it was hard to tell who was more excited; the newlyweds or Jasper. Eddie and Janet brought him back some new toys and bones, which thrilled Jasper. Since Phil wasn't going to be able to make the reception later that night, they spent the next hour showing Phil and Pizza Girl the wedding DVD and pictures.

An hour and a half after they arrived back in town, they were home with Jasper. Sam had come by and collected their mail every day and it was piled up on the dining room table. In their bedroom, lying on their bed, waiting to be put on for the reception was Eddie's tux and Janet's wedding dress, both freshly dry cleaned, courtesy of Janet's mother.

As soon as their luggage was set down, coats and shoes came off they got to work. Eddie dealt with the mail, phone calls left for them on their voicemail, called their family and friends to let them know that they made it home and he unpacked Jasper while Janet started unpacked their suitcases and started the laundry. Once those items were taken care of and while they waited for the first load of laundry to finish washing and before their nap the two of them spent some quality time with their baby, Jasper.

* * *

"Why didn't you wear that last week?" Eddie asked his wife. They were getting ready for their wedding reception and Janet had just placed a garter on her bare leg.

"This has to do more with the reception than the wedding. You are supposed to take it off of me and then throw it to the single men and then he dances with the girl who caught my bouquet." She saw Eddie's eyes twinkling with mischief and she knew what was going through his mind. "Remember, there will be a room full of people there so you need to be appropriate when removing my garter."

"Am I ever not appropriate?" He feigned innocence.

"Will you help me into my dress?"

"Do I have to? You look pretty good wearing what you have on." Janet rolled her eyes and held her dress out. The only things she had on were her bra and underwear, the same she wore a week ago. They were the first thing she washed when they got home. "Hold it open so I can step into it." Eddie did as he was instructed and once it was on, he zipped her up.

"You look as gorgeous as you did a week ago." Eddie told her as his eyes gravitated to her cleavage.

"All of me or just my boobs?" Eddie pulled his eyes to her face.

"Every inch of you looks amazing."

"Thank you."

"So I was wondering…?"

"Yes?"

"Well since this isn't our actual wedding day…are we going to have sex when we get home?" Janet laughed.

"Do you want to have sex when we get home?"

"I want to have sex right now but I know that's not possible so I most definitely want to have sex when we get home."

"I believe that can be arranged." With a smile, Janet kissed Eddie softly.

Eddie and Janet arrived at The Johnson Inn a half an hour before their reception started. They wanted to be there when their guests arrived so they could greet them as they walked in the door. Janet's mom, Lillian, Judee and Hannah did a wonderful job decorating the banquet room. It was everything Janet had hoped it would be without knowing exactly what she wanted until she saw the finished product.

After everyone arrived the party got started. The DJ began by introducing the wedding party; Lillian and Owen were introduced first followed by Nick and Hannah then it was time for family introductions. Max was first and he proudly walked into the banquet room, smiling and waving at everyone. Mitch and Judee were next followed by the parent's of the bride and finally Mr. And Mrs. Eddie Latekka were introduced to a room full of cheers.

"Hey everyone. Thanks so much for coming and celebrating Janet and my wedding." Eddie spoke into the microphone to the room. "I know this is unconventional coming to a reception without going to the wedding but who in their right mind would turn down free booze?" Another cheer went up. "Our wedding was taped and while this wonderful staff sets up our dinner we thought we would play our wedding DVD for you so you all could see the best moment of our lives."

Eddie and Janet took their seats at the main table as the lights were dimmed and the DVD began to play. A chorus of "AWW's" went up around the room when the camera focused on Janet in her wedding dress. Eddie wore the biggest smile and Janet had tears in her eyes as they watched their wedding on the screen. Meanwhile every guest sitting in that banquet room could see the love between the couple on the screen and at the head table and there wasn't a doubt that their marriage would be a strong one.

After dinner and after the traditional meet and greet with the guests the party really got started. It began with the traditional first dance of the bride and groom. Janet was expecting the slow, romantic song that she had picked to come through the speakers so she was surprised, pleasantly surprised, when "Saturday Night" by the Bay City Rollers came through the speakers. She burst out laughing as Eddie began to do a version of the strip tease he did the night they first made love only this time he was removing his vest instead of his shirt. When his vest hit the dance floor Janet grabbed his hand and they began to dance. The dance wasn't coordinated or even pretty but it was memorable. Eddie and Janet had fun making fools of themselves to "their" song and that's all that mattered.

Once the bridal dance was over it was time for the father – daughter dance. Eddie graciously handed Patrick his daughter's hand so they could share a dance. Halfway through the song, like they had planned, Eddie led Kat to the dance floor and the four of them finished the dance together. Next was the mother- son dance with Eddie and Judee and this time it was Janet that escorted Mitch to the dance floor halfway through the son, much to Mitch's delight. Not wanting Max to feel left out Eddie and Janet came up with a sibling dance. Eddie danced with Lillian while Janet danced with Max and that one simple dance made Max the happiest kid in the world.

After the sibling dance all of the official dancing was done Janet threw her bouquet and Eddie tastefully removed her garter. A waitress and friend of Janet's who Janet worked with when she first started working at The Johnson Inn caught the bouquet and Ikey caught the garter and by the end of the night, Cassie and Ikey had formed the start of something.

Over the next two hours Eddie and Janet roamed the banquet hall talking, laughing and drinking with the their guests and when they weren't doing that Janet was out on the dance floor with her friends and Max while Eddie stood at the bar with his boys, watching his wife. When the DJ played a slow song, Eddie made sure he was on the dance floor with his beautiful wife; her head lying on his chest; his arms wrapped around her waist; moving in perfect harmony with each other; everything was exactly as it should be.

* * *

"O look at the door. Do you see that?" Nick asked his friend towards the end of the evening. Owen turned towards the door and saw what Nick was referring to. Matt Lausch was standing in the doorway staring at Janet.

"Well I'll be damned. What in the hell is he doing here?"

"Let's go find out and get rid of him before Eddie and Janet see this." Nick and Owen walked over to their target. Each of them grabbed an arm and drug him away so he wouldn't be seen.

"I don't recall you being on the guest list Matt." Nick said.

"Public place. No invite required."

"Private party. Invitation only."Owen told him.

"I never stepped inside. I was just observing."

"Find something else to observe. Eddie and Janet don't want you here."

"What is it about her that Eddie finds so fascinating?" Matt mumbled. "I would really like to know."

"Get the hell out of here before I throw you out on your sorry ass." Owen growled. Matt looked over Owen's shoulder at Janet one last time. He licked his lips, slapped Owen and Nick on their shoulders and with a creepy grin he walked away. "What the hell was that?"

"Nothing good." The two men walked back into the reception and their eyes fell on Eddie and Janet.

"He needs to know that Matt was here." Owen said.

"Yeah he does but not tonight. If we tell them tonight it will ruin this day for them." Nick motioned to the couple on the dance floor. "Do you really want to ruin this for them cause I sure the hell don't."

"No. I don't want to ruin this for them. Tomorrow. We will tell them tomorrow."

"Tomorrow it is." Owen agreed.


	38. Chapter 38

The morning after their hometown wedding reception, Janet woke up first which was no surprise. Eddie tied one on the night before. Janet was the one that had to drive home and help her drunk husband into bed but Eddie wasn't drunk enough to pass out without sex but drunk enough that Janet had to do most of the work. She didn't mind. She did after all promise him that they would make love after their reception.

Janet showered and got ready and Eddie never budged. He was really sleeping hard. Since they were gone for a week, there were no groceries in their house and since they were having a houseful of guests over that afternoon Janet decided that she was going to make the most of this opportunity and go to the grocery store. Shopping for food with Eddie was an adventure but never a fun adventure. He was quite obnoxious in the grocery store; wanting to buy mainly junk food. She would turn her back and when she turned back around there was something in the cart that she didn't put in there. Sometimes she wouldn't catch the extra items until they were checking out but whenever Janet gave him a list and he went on his own he always bought exactly what she asked for and only a few extra items so she was convinced that wanting to buy only junk food while they were together at the store was just to torment her. She wrote a quick note telling him she loved him, promising him a doughnut and coffee when she returned and she signed it "Mrs. Latekka." She left it on the bathroom counter, kissed his sleeping form and slipped out of the house.

* * *

Janet returned home an hour and a half later and walked in the house with a handful of bags. She set the bags on the counters and went into the living room because she heard the television and she burst out laughing.

"You have to be the most ridiculous man that I have ever seen." Eddie was sitting buck naked on the couch wearing a pair of sunglasses. "Hangover baby?"

"A little one. My head hurts."

"Hence the sunglasses."

"Hence the sunglasses. Did you bring me my doughnut?" Janet tossed him the bag with the doughnuts. "Thank you honey. You are the best. Did you bring me any coffee?" Janet rolled her eyes.

"In the kitchen but I wouldn't recommend drinking it like that. You wouldn't want to burn any important body parts."

"Thanks for looking out for me and my penis."

"I enjoy your penis."

"I know you do." He winked at her. "One time Phil decided that he wanted to live the rest of his life free and being free meant no clothes. For days he walked around the house naked as the day he was born and it was creepy."

"Now you know how I am feeling right now."

"No. You are my wife and it shouldn't creep you out to see me naked. You love seeing me naked."

"I do."

"Well Phil doesn't like to see me naked. We tried everything to get that man to put some clothes on and when nothing worked, I decided that two naked straight guys in one house wouldn't go over so I took my clothes off and lived my life naked and it worked. Thankfully Phil put his clothes back on."

"Like, I said. You are ridiculous." She told him with a laugh. "I was going to ask you to help me bring the bags in but I would prefer you do that dressed so instead since I am the only one of us dressed I will bring in the groceries and you can put them away."

"Yes ma'am."

"You learn quickly."

"I do."

Just because he could and because Janet thought he was ridiculous Eddie put the groceries away naked while wearing his sunglasses. After all the groceries were put away, the newly married couple enjoyed their coffee together, cuddled up on the couch only after Eddie put a blanket across his waist so he wouldn't burn any important body parts in case of coffee spillage. After an hour of cuddling and slow kisses Janet sent Eddie to the shower because they were expecting guests that their house in a couple of hours and some of those guests, Max, Hannah, Nick and Sam had a habit of showing up early and Janet didn't want them walking in on a naked Eddie and besides, she had gifts to wrap.

While she was out earlier, she stopped and had some pictures from their wedding developed. She was going to put those pictures in the frames she bought during their honeymoon and was giving them as gifts to everyone who came to their wedding and a few others who didn't make it as gifts. Everyone was getting a photo of just the two of them smiling into the camera with the ocean serving as the backdrop along with another picture. Janet's parents will get the picture of the two of them standing on either side of their daughter. Eddie' parents will receive the picture of them together with their son. Grams are getting the picture of her with the bride and groom. Janet is giving Lillian and Hannah the picture of her with each of them with their arms wrapped around each other. Owen and Nick were getting a picture of them clowning around with the groom. After much debate she decided that Ikey, Phil who didn't attend the wedding would only get the wedding portrait. Eddie's grandparents also did not attend the wedding but they were getting the wedding portrait and the Latekka family portrait.

Finally, she was left with Max. Instead of the wedding portrait he was getting pictures of him and Eddie and him and Janet. The first picture that Janet picked was a no brainer. Max worships his brother and there was a great photograph of the two of them back to back hamming it up for the camera. It was perfect. Janet ran into trouble when she had to pick the picture of her and Max. There were two that Janet loved. The first one was just of the two of them. Max had his arm slung around Janet's shoulders and Janet had an arm around his waist. The second was a favorite of Janet's. She was standing between Eddie and Max and each of the boys was kissing a cheek. It was her favorite picture. She figured Max would probably prefer the one of just the two of them but she called Eddie in for a second opinion.

"Yes dear?"

"Which picture should I give Max?" A freshly showered and shaved Eddie took a seat next to Janet and took the pictures from her.

"This one is awesome." Eddie pointed to the picture of the two of them kissing Janet.

"I love that one."

"But Max doesn't like sharing you so I would give him the one of just the two of you."

"That's what I thought. I just wanted conformation."

"So what can I do?"

"The food needs to be ordered. I wrote down a list of what we are ordering and it's on the kitchen table."

"I live to serve."

"I like the sound of that."

"A happy wife equals a happy life." With a quick kiss Eddie was up and headed for the kitchen to place their food order while Janet wrapped Max's picture.

* * *

"Janet. Get in here." Eddie called from the living room.

"What's up babe?"

"What in the hell is going on outside?" Janet looked out the living room window and saw that their parents had arrived and Mitch and Patrick were unloading a large table from the back of Mitch's truck. The couple looked at each other and went outside.

"What is all this?" Janet called.

"You're wedding gift from us." Kat told them. Eddie and Janet stared with identical dumbfounded expressions on their faces when they realized that their fathers were unloading a patio table.

"And don't even think about telling us "no" or it's too much." Judee informed them. "It's our gift to our children to celebrate their wedding."

"Eddie close your mouth and get over here and help us." Mitch demanded and Eddie, still shocked, did as he was asked.

"Angel, help your mom with the chairs." Patrick told his daughter.

"Okay daddy." Janet was grateful for their parents' generosity but her pride wanted to insist that they take it back because it really was too much but she also knew she was outnumbered. Her parents, especially her dad was stubborn; that's where Janet got her stubbornness from and she has learned that Eddie's parents, especially Judee was equally as stubborn so she had to bite back her pride and accept the gift.

"Give it up Janey." Grams told her granddaughter. "Just smile and accept your wedding gift." Grams knew her granddaughter so well. They had just gotten the patio table and chairs up and Janet was standing at the sliding glass door, staring at the newly acquired outdoor funiture.

"I'm trying." Janet turned and hugged her grandmother tightly. "I really wish you were staying longer." Grams had come to town three days before the wedding and Janet's parents were taking her back to Rhode Island as soon as they left this get together that Eddie and Janet had arranged.

"The only way you would be happy was if I never returned to Rhode Island."

"That's right so how about it Grams? Stay here."

"You know my response to that Janey."

"I know." Janet said miserably. "I just miss you."

"I know you do but don't forget you now have that handsome husband of yours to keep you occupied."

"He does do that." Janet said with a grin.

"See. You'll be so busy you won't have time to miss me."

"That's not true and that will never be true." Grams smiled weakly at Janet. "Is everything okay Grams?"

"Yes sweetheart. Everything is fine." Grams kissed Janet's cheek. "Now quit sulking and go visit with your family and friends."

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"You shouldn't worry when there is nothing to worry about. I'm fine. Not another word. Do you understand me?"

"Yes ma'am."

"That's my girl." As the two women walked into the living room, Janet couldn't shake the nagging feeling that there was something Grams wasn't telling her.

After everyone arrived and ate the pizza and wings provided by Eddie and Janet, the couple passed out their gifts to their friends and family. Everyone loved their pictures and knew Janet took the time to choose the right picture for each of them. When Max opened his picture of himself and Janet, he yelped and then ran around the room, proudly showing it off. She definitely made the right choice where Max was concerned.

On the invitation Janet and Eddie stated that they did not want any gifts but apparently their family and friends cannot read because there were piles of gifts in cards sitting in the living room. As soon as the girls began talking about opening the gifts the guys immediately decided that since it was a nice spring day that they needed to break in the new patio table with a poker game because they had no interest in opening gifts that weren't for them. Eddie wanted to open the gifts with Janet but he also wanted to hang with the guys. He gave Janet a very sad, pathetic look and she gave him permission to go play with the boys. He promised to make it up to her and she planned on holding him to that promise.

* * *

Late afternoon, around four o'clock, most everyone had left the newlyweds home. Owen, Allison, Nick, Hannah, Sam and baby Carolyn were the only ones that remained and the newlyweds were saying their goodbyes to their friends.

"Eddie, there is something we need to talk to you about." Owen told his friend, forcing Eddie to pull his eyes away from his wife who was holding Carolyn. She looked so natural with a baby in her arms and he couldn't wait until the baby in her arms was their own.

"What's up?"

"Not out here." Nick gestured towards Janet with his head indicating he didn't want her to hear what he was going to say.

"Okay." Eddie walked into the house followed by Nick and Owen. "What the hell is going on?"

"Matt Lausch." Owen answered

"What about Matt Lausch?" Eddie felt his blood pressure rise just from hearing that name.

"He showed up at your reception last night."

"WHAT?" Eddie roared. Now his blood was beginning to boil.

"O and I noticed that he was standing in the doorway staring at Janet." Eddie clenched his fists.

"Why didn't you come and get me so I could deal with that loser?"

"It was your wedding reception. We didn't want to ruin your night. We didn't want to upset Janet."

"Good point. So what did he say?" Nick and Owen glanced at each other, something that Eddie did not miss. "What in the hell did he say?" Eddie practically growled.

"It wasn't bad; just weird." Owen told him.

"What did he say?" Eddie repeated slowly, in case his friends didn't understand his question.

"He said he wondered what you find so fascinating about Janet and he would really like to know."

"That's all?"

"Yeah. That's all he said but it was the way he was staring at her. It wasn't right." Nick answered. Eddie understood what Nick was saying.

"If he lays a hand on her…I will…kill him. I will choke the life out of him. I will kill…"

"Hey guys your wives…What's going on?" Janet had just walked in and knew she walked in on something serious.

"Nothing." Janet saw her husband unclench his fists.

"Eddie?"

"It's all good honey." Eddie's lie was obvious to everyone.

"Allison and Hannah are ready to go." Janet told the boys.

"Yeah we should go." Owen agreed. "Call if you need anything." Eddie nodded and then Owen kissed Janet's cheek. "Take care Janet."

"Thanks Owen."

"I'll see you in the morning." Nick told Eddie and like Owen, Nick kissed Janet's cheek as well.

"Thanks for everything Nick."

"No problem Janet." With a wave Nick slipped out of the door. Eddie and Janet followed, waving goodbye to their friends. Once they were out of sight they went into the house. As soon the door was closed, Eddie took Janet in his arms and attempted to kiss her but Janet pushed him away.

"Not happening Latekka; not until you tell me what I walked in on."

"It's really no big deal."

"Bullshit. You looked like your head was going to explode. You were saying that you were going to kill something or someone. Now spill." Eddie collapsed on the couch with a sigh. "Baby, what is it?" Janet asked sitting next to him.

"I don't want to upset you when it's probably nothing." Janet took his hand.

"Tell me."

"Lausch showed up last night."

"Showed up where?"

"Our reception." Janet's eyes widen in surprise.

"Why didn't you tell me last night?"

"Because I didn't know last night." He snapped. "I didn't see him. That was Nicky and Owen. They saw him; confronted him and sent him on his way. I didn't find out until a few minutes ago."

"What did he want?"

"I don't know. Nothing. Maybe he just wanted to piss me off. He was just watching."

"Watching what?"

"You."

"Me? Why on earth would he be watching me?"

"I don't know. I think he's got some sick obsession with you."

"Why is being obsessed with me sick?" Janet asked with a grin.

"This isn't a joke Janet. It seems that Matt has set his sights on you and I'm afraid he will hurt you."

"I saw him today. At the grocery store and then when I went to go pick up the developed pictures." Eddie's brown eyes turned dark with anger and he knew it wasn't random. Most single guys can't pull themselves out of bed on a lazy Sunday morning let alone get up and go to the grocery store.

"Why didn't you tell me as soon as you got home?"

"Because I didn't think anything of it. It's a small town and I see a lot of the same people all of the time."

"Dammit Janet. You should have told me sooner." Eddie shouted.

"I didn't know that there was anything to tell." Janet shouted back. She stood and began to walk away from him, but he reached out and stopped her.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you. Matt makes me crazy and the thought that he may hurt you makes me crazier." Eddie pulled his wife to his chest and hugged her tightly, kissing the top of her head. "I'm scared he will hurt you."

"I'll be careful. I'll keep my eyes open."

"If anything happens to you because of him…" Janet could hear the worry and love in his voice. She lifted her head and saw tears shining in eyes. She pressed her lips to his so he would stop talking.

"Babe, nothing is going to happen to me. Today proves it. I saw Matt twice today and nothing happened. He didn't even approach me. He showed up last night just to get under your skin, which he loves to do. That's it." Eddie shook his head.

"I don't trust that little maggot."

"Matt is a maggot who wants to push your buttons. Don't let him do it baby."

"I…I…just can't stand the thought of anything happening to you."

"I promise that I will be more cautious and alert where Matt is concerned."

"And call me whenever you see him creeping?"

"No."

"But Janet…"

"I cannot call you whenever I see Matt. That's just ridiculous. How about I call you if his creeping is creeping me out and I feel that I can't handle him on my own. Deal?"

"I really don't have a choice do I?"

"Nope."

"Fine. Deal. I just love you so much and worry about you."

"Why don't you show me how much you love me?" The worry in Eddie's eyes was quickly replaced with desire.

"But what about all of the opened wedding gifts all over our living room?" Eddie was teasing.

"They can wait." Janet was attempting to pull him to their bedroom but he was not moving.

"Now I know how you get sweetheart and I don't want you to lose your mind over piles of stuff in the living room so I am willing to put the stuff away right now."

"Okay. Let's put them away." Janet dropped Eddie's and as she stepped away Eddie pulled her back to his chest.

"I don't think so." Janet's back was pressed his chest so he easily leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her neck.

"No. Now you've got me thinking about it so I have to do it."

"No way is that happening." Eddie proceeded to drag Janet backwards to their bedroom. She playfully fought against him and by the time they fell onto the bed, they were laughing.

* * *

On that final day of their honeymoon, the living room never got cleaned up. It was the last thing on their minds. After making love they ventured to the bathroom and indulged in a couple bubble bath that included a lot of caressing and kissing. When the couple had practically turned into prunes, the regretfully left the comfort of the tub and each other's arms for their dinner of leftovers; pizza, wings, and dessert of leftover wedding cake from the previous night's reception and they washed it all down with a beer while snuggling together in their bed. After dinner, they watched some television and it wasn't long before Janet's sexy nightgown was on the floor and they were in a tangle of arms, legs, lips and hands.

"So how much money did you lose today?" Eddie was lying on his back. Janet was lying on her back but her head was on his chest and it was turned so she was looking at her husband's handsome face.

"Umm, not a lot."

"You are such a horrible liar." Janet told him with a grin.

"All of it."

"Which is?"

"Around forty bucks."

"Was it around forty bucks or was it forty bucks."

"Technically, I started with forty bucks and then I was killing it. I was at one ten and then I bet huge against your father and pretty much lost it all." Janet leaned forward and kissed his nose.

"Poor baby."

"Your dad is a sneaky bastard isn't he?"

"If you can't stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen."

"You're dad said the exact same thing." Janet grinned, lifted her head and kissed him softly.

"Did that help ease the pain of your loss?"

"Hmm. A little but I think I need another one."

"Of course you do."

"But it has to be a really good kiss. That's the only way I will feel better about losing money."

"Oh I see. Well I'm not promising anything but I will give it my best shot."

"That's all I'm asking sweetheart." Janet pulled herself off of Eddie's chest and hovered over him, propping herself up with one hand; her curls hanging down, brushing his arm and chest.

"I love you baby." Janet whispered tenderly.

"I love you Mrs. Latekka." Janet lowered her upper body down on top of Eddie's crushing her breasts to his chest and passionately kissed her man. Eddie wrapped his arms around her back, pressing her even closer to him and reciprocated her kiss. When they came up for air Eddie flipped their positions so Janet was on her back and he quickly resumed kissing her lips, her face and her neck.

"Did that work?" Janet asked once they finally managed to separate their lips. They were lying on their sides, facing each other holding hands.

"I believe it did."

"It was fun today wasn't it?" Janet was referring to their post wedding get together.

"Yeah it was. You did a great job with the pictures. Everyone loved them." Eddie complimented and Janet smiled in appreciation.

"Did Grams seem okay to you?"

"Yeah. Why is something wrong with her?"

"She says not but I don't know. Something was off with her."

"If she says she's fine then she probably is. She wouldn't lie to you."

"Oh yes she would. When it comes to her health and if it would keep me from worrying she would most definitely lie to me. Probably about a year before Gramps died, Grams was having trouble with her gallbladder and ended up having it removed. I talked to her the day before her surgery and she told me she was fine when she wasn't. I didn't find out until it was over. That infuriated me."

"It's because she loves you."

"I know but it doesn't mean that I have to like it. If you ever keep something important from me to protect me because you love me I will kill you Eddie Latekka."

"Understood and the same goes for you Mrs. Latekka."

"Of course." Janet answered with a yawn.

"Did I tucker you out?" Eddie asked with a cocky grin.

"You did but I don't want to go to sleep."

"Why?"

"Cause tomorrow we return to our normal non-honeymoon life." Janet said sadly. This past week had been the best of their lives.

"Yeah that sucks but now, it's the honeymoon period of our marriage and you know what that means don't you?" Eddie's eyes were sparkling mischievously.

"Yes. I know what it means."

"I've got lots of plans for the honeymoon stage." Janet smiled knowingly.

"Now don't forget our weekly date night. Just because we're married doesn't mean those stop."

"Are we counting tomorrow's dinner with my grandparents as date night?"

Are you kidding me? Hell no." Eddie's grandparents who had come into town for the wedding reception invited the two of them to dinner and of course they couldn't say no. They were family after all. "Date night is me and you or with another couple that is not family." Janet clarified.

"Besides tomorrow when are you off so I can make sure I am home?"

"Wednesday."

"It's your turn to plan. What are we doing?"

"I'm still thinking."

"You better make it good."

"You know I will baby." Janet yawned again.

"Come on. Let's sleep." This time Janet didn't argue. She sat up, turned off her bedside lamp and then cuddled up against Eddie so he could spoon her.

"Goodnight sweetheart." Janet mumbled.

"Goodnight love." Eddie responded kissing Janet's bare shoulder.


	39. Chapter 39

Eddie awoke with a start and a pounding heart. He looked next to him and let out a breath he didn't know he was holding when he saw Janet sleeping beside him. He knew he had a dream or nightmare about Janet and Matt. He couldn't recall the exact details. He just had images of Janet being scared or hurt and that was enough to make his heart pound with anxiety.

Since learning about Matt's presence at their wedding reception and his seemingly sick obsession with Janet, Eddie hadn't been able to stop thinking about it. Sure, he had been distracted by his gorgeous wife at times and at those times, Matt wasn't even on his radar but when he wasn't being distracted by his girl, he couldn't get Matt out of his mind. He didn't trust Matt. He was terrified he would hurt his wife. He knew Janet could take care of herself in most situations thanks to those self defense classes she had taken but it was abnormal situations that scared him. If he could, he would love to lock Janet up in the house to keep her safe but that wouldn't work because she wouldn't go for it.

Janet rolled over and was now facing Eddie. He scooted closer to his wife and wrapped an arm around her. He looked at her sleepy features and was blown away by her. He still found it hard to believe that he loved her as much as he did and he didn't want anything to ever happen to her. If he let something happen to her; if someone hurt her he would lose his mind. She was his entire world and if someone hurt the woman he loved more than his own life then that person's world would be destroyed.

Glancing over Janet's shoulder he saw that he had about an half hour before Janet's alarm went off which meant, including the one time that Janet hits the snooze button, there was forty minutes until she had to get up for work. Forty minutes was plenty of time for what he wanted. The arm that was wrapped around her began to trail up and down her back and then around to her front. Still sleeping Janet sighed and pressed closer to Eddie. Grinning he placed his mouth to her neck and he began to press kisses there. Kisses to her neck always woke her up.

"Eddie?" Yep. Worked every time.

"Morning sweetheart." Janet's eyes fluttered open.

"Time?" She asked sleepily.

"It's time to make love." Janet turned her head to look at the clock. Seeing that she had time before the alarm went off, she rolled onto her back and pulled Eddie with her.

"That's my favorite time of day."

"I've gotten so used to starting our day making love that I couldn't let today be any different." Janet reached out and cupped his cheek.

"You're lying. Nothing ever rouses you up early; not even sex with me. Sure, you will get up early to have sex but you are never the first one up. You've got something on your mind. I can see it in your eyes." In the barely lit room, Janet could see the worry mixed with desire in Eddie's brown eyes.

"It's nothing."

"Baby."

"I just…"

"It's the whole Matt situation isn't it?" Eddie nodded. "I know you are worried but I think that Matt is practically harmless."

"I don't."

"There is nothing we can do about him."

"Oh there is something that I can do about him." Janet giggled.

"Eddie you cannot kill Matt. I already promised you that I would be careful and observant around Matt."

"I know but that doesn't mean that I am not going to worry."

"I love that you are worrying about me but you can't let it consume you because if you do, there will be three people in this marriage; me, you and Matt and I have never been the kind of girl to be involved in a threesome." Eddie laughed a big belly laugh. "Now how about if I make you forget about Matt for awhile?"

"Think you can?" Janet flipped them over.

"Oh I know I can." Eddie reached out and cupped her breasts, drawing out a moan from his wife.

"I love you Janet." He whispered huskily.

"I know that. Believe me, I know that." Janet adjusted her body and she lowered herself down on top of his erection with a groan. "I love you Eddie Latekka." Janet whispered as she began to move her body, beginning their morning the right and happy way.

* * *

Eddie was in the shower and Janet was in front of the bathroom mirror combing out her hair when she noticed something on her neck. She pulled her hair back off of her neck, wiped the steam off of the mirror and leaned forward to examine her neck.

"Oh my God." She whispered when she realized what was on her neck. "Edward Andrew Latekka." She yelled.

"I put the toilet seat down." He yelled back; at least he thought he put it down. Suddenly, the curtain was pulled back and cold air rushed in. He turned around and saw his wife looking none too happy. "What?"

"Look what you did?" Janet practically growled pointing to her neck. Eddie wiped the water off of his face and squinted.

"What?" Sighing irritably, Janet stuck her head further into the shower.

"Get your ass over here and look and my neck." She was furious and Eddie wasn't quite sure he wanted to be within striking distance but he would be in a lot more trouble if he didn't do as she demanded so he slinked over to her. "Can you see what you did now?" Eddie leaned forward and it took a minute before he saw what he did.

"Oh."

"Oh. That's all you have to say? You gave me a FREAKING hickey." Yep. He sure did. He wanted to grin. He couldn't help himself. He was proud of the mark on her neck but he knew better than to tell her that.

"I'm sorry."

"Yeah you really sound it jackass." With that, Janet pulled the curtain back and Eddie was left alone in the shower. Shaking his head, he quickly finished his shower because there was some definite groveling that needed to done.

When Eddie got out of the shower the bathroom was empty. He quickly dried off, wrapped a towel around his waist and went to face Janet's wrath. He found her in the kitchen, making his lunch. He walked up, wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and began to nuzzle his neck.

"Oh no buster. My neck is off limits to you." She informed him, wiggling out of his grasp.

"Lemme see." He reached out, pulled her hair off to the side and had a look at the damage he did. It was located towards the back of her neck and wasn't huge but it wasn't small either. He knew exactly when it had happened. Last night, he couldn't get enough of her neck and he was paying for that now. The caveman in him loved it. His woman was marked but he was smart enough not to tell his wife that. "I'm sorry honey." He rubbed his thumb across the bruise.

"I hate hickey's Eddie. They are disgusting and when someone sees this…this disgusting mark of affection then they will know what we were doing and I don't want anyone thinking about you and me having sex."

"You've got nothing to ashamed of baby."

"I feel like trash with this monstrosity on my neck."

"You are so not trashy."

"You are so lucky that my hair will cover it and I have a couple of high collared shirts that I can wear."

"I really didn't mean to give you a hickey honey. I guess that I just got carried away."

"My neck is off limits to you for an undisclosed amount of time dude."

"Come on. I love your neck. It's always so soft and smelly. Your neck smells so good."

"Maybe this time away from my neck will make you think twice before you decide to give bite my neck."

"So does that mean that I can bite somewhere else?" Eddie's eyes were sparkling with mischief.

"Don't press your luck husband." Eddie grinned and before Janet could stop him, he leaned forward and kissed her hickey. "Hey I said no neck." Eddie laughed and pulled away from temptation.

"It's going to be really, really hard to stay away from your neck."

"Get used to it Latekka."

* * *

"Hey Janet." She had just come down from the daily room inspection. She turned her head and was looking straight at Marr Lausch.

"What are you doing here?"

"I just finished my lunch at your lovely restaurant."

"I hope that you enjoyed yourself. Now if you will excuse me, I have things to do." She turned to walk away and Matt grabbed her arm. "Let go of me." She whispered.

"Hey I didn't mean anything by it. I just wanted to congratulate you on your wedding."

"Now you did so you can go."

"But Janet don't you want to share with me about your honeymoon?" His eyes did a once over of her body, creeping her out. "Come on, what did you and Eddie do on your honeymoon and how many times you do it?" She yanked her arm out his grasp.

"You are a disgusting pig. Now get the hell out of here." She stormed away from him and into her office.

Once in the safety of her office she took a few deep breaths to calm herself down. She wasn't scared. Matt Lausch did not have that affect on her. She needed to calm down because she was royally pissed off. She couldn't believe that he would talk to her that way. He was disgusting and made her sick. She debated with herself on whether or not to call Eddie and finally decided against it. She promised him that she would call if he creeped her out and she felt she couldn't handle it and today he did creep her out but she handled it. The only thing he accomplished besides pissing her off was now, Janet was going to be more aware of her surroundings and him.

* * *

Eddie was sitting at a table at "Angelo's" a fancy Italian restaurant in Clifton a town about thirty minutes outside the Ridge with his grandparents and without his wife. Janet called him, near tears because she got held up at work and would be late. He assured her it would be fine and he was hoping that his grandparents weren't going to make a big deal out of it.

"Nick and I alternate between going out and working at the sites and office work and this week is my office week." Eddie was explaining.

"And what is it you do during your office week?" Grandpa asked.

"Paperwork, ordering supplies, and having meetings with potential clients." Eddie then saw his wife being escorted to their table. He immediately stood and took a moment to admire her. She was wearing a green pencil skirt, which made her legs look fantastic and a black high colored button down shirt with the first couple of buttons left open. He kissed her quickly and softly when she arrived. "Hey baby." She smiled in response and then reached out and shook his grandfather's hand, who had also stood and then grandma's hand.

"I am so sorry that I am late. I was literally walking out the door when the computer crashed."

"It's okay sweetheart." Eddie quickly told her, not giving his grandparents a chance to say anything. "I ordered you a glass of wine."

"Thank you."

"Edward was in the middle of telling us about his job." Grandma informed her. "Edward, which do you enjoy more; office work or working out at the sites."

"Working at the site but now that we have had to hire more guys when it's not my office week, I spend a lot of time going to the sites and making sure they are doing what they should be doing and unfortunately I get little hands on time. I have always preferred hands on work. I am not an office type of guy but I will do whatever I need to do for my business."

"I am glad this business of yours seems to doing well. I just hope it stays that way." Grandpa told his grandson. "Do you have a plan if this business goes south like your landscaping business?"

"No."

"You should. It's not just you anymore son. You have a wife to think about."

"Making a plan of what to do if my company fails seems like a jinx. To me, making that plan would seem like I am planning on my business failing and I'm not doing it. If something does happen, then I…" Janet cleared her throat. "Janet and I will get through it together. Now, can we please move on to another subject besides the failure of my business?" At that moment, their waitress came to take their orders, easing some of the tension at the table. Eddie knew his grandparents were making an effort and their "concern" over his business was their way of communicating that they were worried for him but in his opinion, they needed to find a new way of going about it instead of their current way because that way, made him feel like a failure.

"So Janet isn't there anyone else that could cover for you in case of a computer emergency? You had plans and kept us waiting." Nope, Grandma wasn't going to let Janet's tardiness go.

"Today, no there wasn't. Today was the manager's day off and it's my job to cover any emergencies that come up whether I am there or gone. If my computers crashed after I would have arrived here then I would have been called and I would have had to handle the situation here over the phone and that's ruder than me being fifteen minutes late. Wouldn't you agree?" Janet asked sweetly. She really knew how to handle his grandmother.

"I suppose you are correct." Janet grinned triumphantly and Eddie reached under the table and gave her thigh a squeeze.

"We apologize for not being able to make your wedding ceremony. Your wedding fell on Dakota's first birthday party fell on that day and your grandfather and I already committed our home for the party and we had to be there. You understand don't you?" Dakota was Eddie's cousin, Truman, his son.

"Of course we do." Janet answered for the two of them. Eddie's cousins lived in North Carolina near his grandparents. Where Eddie only sees his grandparents once or twice a year, Truman and Melanie saw them all of the time so it was no surprise that they picked his cousins over him and it didn't bother him in the least. He only wanted people at his wedding that supported him and his wife.

"From the video you showed of the ceremony looked perfectly lovely."

"It was perfectly lovely. In fact it was perfect." Eddie told them. "It was exactly what we wanted."

"Good for you." Grandpa spoke up. He never usually did much speaking. At that moment their soups and salads arrived and the occupants of the table concentrated on eating.

"Janet the pictures you gave us were very thoughtful. Thank you very much."

"You're welcome."

"It was my idea." Eddie piped up with a mouth full of salad.

"Of course it was." Janet said sarcastically and everyone laughed.

The remainder of the meal went by relatively smoothly. Eddie and Janet avoided the topic of work while his grandparents talked a lot about Eddie's cousins Melanie and Truman. It bothered Janet that they seemed so proud of those two but they didn't make an effort to learn anything about the grandson in front of them but it didn't seem to bother Eddie at all.

"So are you two planning on having children?" Granma inquired during dessert.

"We are but we decided to wait a few months before trying." Janet explained.

"Yeah. We want to enjoy just being married before having kids." Eddie added.

"That is smart. So many people these days having children out of wedlock these day is a tragedy. When that happens the couple marries for the sake of the child and that's no reason to get married and sadly, most of those marriages don't work out."

"Mom and dad's marriage worked out." Grandma's face hardened when she heard Eddie's comment. She knew exactly what Eddie was referring too.

"Your mother got pregnant with you on her honeymoon." At least that's what she told everybody and maybe she believed it.

"Sure she did. My mistake grandma."

"At least you two had the sense enough not to get pregnant before you were married." Eddie felt Janet stiffen next to him.

"And if we would have gotten pregnant before we got married?"

"I beg your pardon."

"What about if I would have gotten pregnant outside of wedlock? Would that have changed your opinion of me; of Eddie? Would you have held that fact against our child?"

"No of course not." Grandpa told her. Eddie knew that Janet wanted to tell his grandmother about their baby. He saw it in her eyes but he knew it wouldn't do anything but upset her so he shook his head ever so slightly and she got the message.

"Just don't wait too long to have children. You two are past the age of good fertility."

"Age of good fertility? What in the hell does that mean?" Eddie asked with smirk.

"The older you Janet get there is an elevated chance of your child being born with medical issues such as Down Syndrome."

"In case you forgot my brother has Down Syndrome. There is nothing wrong with Down Syndrome." Eddie snapped.

"No of course not. I didn't mean anything by that. Max is a lovely child." Eddie nodded in agreement. "I was just stating facts that I'm sure you aren't aware of. That's all. I'm just looking out for the two of you and if you want children you should start relatively soon because Janet would be higher risk for miscarriage."

"Excuse me. I need to use the bathroom." Before anyone could respond Janet was up and gone. Eddie wanted to give his grandmother a piece of his mind but he held his tongue. Grandma didn't know about their baby and she didn't mean any harm by what she said so instead he looked at his watch and announced that it was time to call it a night. By the time Janet returned to the table the check had been paid and everyone was ready to go. After Eddie and Janet said their goodbyes they linked hands and walked to the coat check.

"Are you okay sweetheart?" She nodded. "Janet?" After Janet was handed her coat she turned around and handed it to her husband. She then turned her back to him and he automatically helped her into it.

"I'll see you at home." Before he realized what had happened Janet had kissed his cheek, and was out of the restaurant. Sighing he followed her outside. By the time he found her jeep it was pulling out of the parking lot and he had no other choice but to follow her lead.

* * *

When Eddie got home he found Janet standing on the deck, staring out into the darkness as Jasper took care of his bathroom needs. He walked up behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his head on top of hers. She automatically, leaned back into his body.

"It's not your fault." He whispered. "You didn't lose the baby because of your age."

"I know." She whispered tearfully.

"She didn't know. She wasn't trying to hurt you. In her own way she was trying to be helpful."

"I know."

"Babe, are you okay?"

"I think I am." Eddie turned her around so he could look at her. "Really. I am okay. When she first mentioned that older woman are more apt to miscarry I was upset and for a brief time I thought that the miscarriage was my fault. That's why I made a run for the bathroom but I didn't cry. I took a deep breath, calmed myself down and I didn't cry. I just kept telling myself that I it wasn't my fault."

"That's my girl." Eddie said grinning proudly.

"Did your grandmother's remark scare me? It sure did but not enough. I want to have your baby Eddie and the fact that your grandmother thinks that I am too old is not going to stop me In fact it makes me want to prove her wrong."

"So do you still want to wait or shall we get started right now?"

"I still want to wait. I want kids but I am really enjoying it still being just you and me."

"Me too baby. Me too but just so you know, I am ready to get started anytime that you are."

"Sounds good but until then we should use that time wisely and practice."

"Practice makes perfect."

"I hope we never perfect it." Janet whispered softly as she leaned in to kiss Eddie until Jasper was barking at their feet.

"Thanks dude for ruining the moment." Eddie joked with Jasper. "Come on little guy. Let's get you a treat." Jasper yipped and ran inside. He knew the meaning of the word "treat." Janet followed the boys inside readying herself to tell Eddie about Matt's visit. She decided to just jump right in.

"Matt was at the hotel today." She blurted out and Eddie's hand froze in the bag of treats.

"Excuse me?" Janet could see the anger all over his face.

"Matt was at the…"

"I heard you." He snapped.

"Will you please give Jasper his snack and calm down?" Eddie tossed the treat to Jasper.

"Why didn't you call me? You promised me…"

"I promised that I would call you if I couldn't handle it and I handled it."

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"When would you have liked for me to have told you; during dinner or maybe dessert? I told you as soon as it was a good time to tell you."

"What did he do to you?" Eddie was clenching and unclenching his fist.

"The only thing he did was run his nasty mouth."

"What did he say?"

"Well he congratulated me and then he asked me if I wanted to tell him what we did on our honeymoon and how many times we did it."

"Why that sick son of a bitch." He muttered as he began pacing the length of the kitchen. Suddenly, he stopped, turned around and walked over to his wife. "You have to file a police report first thing in the morning."

"Baby, we've been down this road before. There is nothing the police can do." Eddie sighed and walked away into the living room.

"I feel so damn helpless right now and it's driving me crazy." He told Janet when she joined him. She handed him a beer, hoping that would help ease his anger some.

"Matt is a mouth piece. He's not hurting me." Janet told him. "We or you need to just let this go. I know you want to do something but honey, there is nothing you can do so please, don't stress over it. I'm fine and isn't that all that really matters?"

"Yeah but…" Janet kissed him quiet.

"Aren't you the one who is always telling me not to jump to the worst case scenario?" He grinned sheepishly. "Maybe it's time you follow your own advice huh?"

"Yeah. I guess."

"He's just trying to get under your skin." Janet reminded him. "Don't let him okay?"

"Okay." He agreed but they both knew it was a promise that he couldn't keep.

"It's been a long day. I'm going to go take a bath and I would like some company."

"You want me to sit on the toilet and talk while you bathe?"

"If that's what you want but I do need help washing my back." With a wink Janet disappeared to their room.

Obviously, Eddie followed Janet. He was a good husband and if his wife needed help washing her back, then he would be the one to help her. It wouldn't be very husbandly of him to let her suffer and possibly leave a speck of dirt on her gorgeous back.

* * *

"Does it bother you that your grandparents basically favor your cousins over you?" Janet asked as they relaxed together in the tub after Janet's back and everything else had been thoroughly cleaned.

"Not really." He answered with a shrug.

"Well it bothers me." Eddie laughed.

"Why on earth does it bother you?"

"Because you are as good as your cousins are, maybe probably better but your grandparents don't see that."

"If grandma and grandpa think that Melanie and Truman are better than I am let them. I really don't care. I know that I am a good man, a good son, brother, friend and husband and you know that and that's all that matters to me."

"You are all of those things, especially a good husband. A very good husband. It's just a shame that they can't see what we all see." Eddie lowered his head and kissed his wife; only breaking when they needed to breathe. From Janet's mouth, his lips traveled down to her neck.

"Hey." Janet exclaimed, jerking away. "I told you my neck is off limits."

"I thought you were kidding."

"Nope." Janet pulled out of Eddie's arms and the tub and he did the same.

"Well that sucks." He said with a pouty lip.

"You have a lesson to learn mister."

"I will take my punishment like a man but until I am allowed to place my lips on your neck again I will have to find other places on your body to put them." Janet quirked an eyebrow.

"You think?"

"I really think." With a grin, Eddie took her hand and led her to their bed.


	40. Chapter 40

Eddie and Janet's marriage started off wonderfully. They were perfectly happy. They loved being married and every day that passed they fell more in love with each other. Like they promised, they made sure that they made time for each other as a couple by having their weekly date. During their date nights, they kept their general frustrations about life, work and any other insignificant thing out of their date and just focused on each other.

Max's birthday was a month after Eddie and Janet's wedding and the newlyweds surprised their brother with a trip to Boston for the Red Sox Opening Day game. They drove to Boston the night before the game, stopped for dinner at a popular burger joint and then made their way to a hotel. Janet used her hotel discount and booked the three of them a nice room with two beds that ended up being pretty cheap. Max loved their room and the three of them ended their night on their beds watching movies.

The next morning the three of them spent the morning at the pool; Janet reading while Max and Eddie played in the pool together like children. After showering, they dressed in their Red Sox gear and went to the stadium early for a lunch of stadium dogs and nachos; the most obvious and perfect lunch. During the fourth inning the stadium began flashing birthday wishes up on the jumbo-tron and Max had no idea that Eddie and Janet paid for Max's name to be put up there. When Max saw his name, he was shocked for a second and then he jumped up and started yelling "That's my name. That's me." Seeing the happiness radiating from Max, made the day perfect.

The three of them ended Max's birthday at Sully's. Since Max was now twenty-one Eddie ordered a beer for his brother and requested that it be watered down. His parents would kill him if he returned Max to them drunk. Max was so excited when the waitress delivered his beer and then before either Janet or Eddie could stop him, he downed half the beer at once and then took a breath and downed the other half. Later that night, Eddie returned his brother home, not drunk but he did have a major buzz.

* * *

"Hi Janet." Jennifer, the administrative assistant greeted her boss's wife when she entered.

"Hi. How are you?" Janet asked.

"Good. How are you? How is married life treating you?" Jennifer knew married life agreed with her boss and from the looks of the happy, glowing woman standing in front of her, married life was agreeing with his wife as well.

"Married life is wonderful."

"I can tell."

"Is Eddie around?" This was the week he was spending in the office and she didn't see him.

"There was a problem at one of the job sites. He had to run out but called me about twenty minutes ago and he is on his way back so he should really be here any time."

"I'll go wait at his desk and let you get back to work." At that exact moment the phone rang and both women laughed.

Janet went and sat behind Eddie's desk. Compared to her desk which was very neat and organized, Eddie's desk was a mess. Papers and post-it notes were everywhere. Janet was so tempted to pick up the papers and make his desk, somewhat orderly but Janet knew, his desk was organized to him so she kept her hands to herself and gazed lovingly at the pictures on his desk. He had three pictures; one of the two of them sharing their first public kiss at Sully's; one of Janet standing on the balcony holding her bouquet looking out at the ocean from their wedding and the third and final picture was of her, Max and Eddie from Max's birthday baseball game. Max was in the middle of the two of them on either side of him and their arms were wrapped around each other. Janet had two of the same pictures on her desk in her office. The only difference was she had the picture of Eddie in his wedding tuxedo leaning against a brick wall, arms crossed over his chest and legs stretched out in front of him. Janet thought he looked so damn good in that picture. A couple times a day she would catch herself staring at that picture, thinking how lucky she was.

"Hey baby. This is a surprise." Janet jumped at the sound of his voice. She was so lost in thought of her happy, wonderful marriage that she never heard him come in. "Is everything okay?" It was Janet's day off and she usually didn't just show up so he was immediately concerned that something was wrong; Matt. Janet smiled, got up from his desk and hugged him tightly.

"Everything is fine. I was out running errands and just decided to stop by." Eddie smiled and kissed her softly.

"I'm really glad you did." He told her tenderly.

"Do you know what today is?" She whispered softly.

"Friday."

"Today is our three month anniversary."

"That's right."

"I want to celebrate and I was hoping that you could cut out a little early so we could celebrate together."

"I think that can be arranged. I've got a couple of things to finish up before the weekend and then I will be all yours."

"I like the sound of that." Janet grinned. "Now, how long will that take?"

"Probably about an hour."

"Sounds perfect."

"Oh crap. Max. I'm supposed to bring Max home tonight." Every other weekend, the weekends that Janet worked, Max spent Friday night with them and Saturday with his brother and after Janet got off of work the three of them went out to dinner together.

"I've taken care of Max. I talked to your mom and she is going to pick Max up after work and then you pick him up tomorrow morning."

"He is not going to like that."

"If it bothers you that much than we can forget about…"

"I'm not that bothered."

"What would you like for dinner?"

"You." He whispered.

"I'm your appetizer and dessert." Eddie grinned. He liked the sound of that.

"I'll eat whatever you make."

"No. Tonight is about you; all about you."

"Why?"

"Because I love you. So, what would you like for dinner baby?"

"Steak."

"Steak it is. Now, is there anything you would like for me to wear?" Eddie's eyes lit up as he pictured all of Janet's sexy lingerie.

"That little green and black thing with the matching underwear." He whispered.

"That can be arranged." Janet then kissed her husband breathless. "There is more of that to come." Janet pinched his butt, winked and sauntered out of Best Friend Windows.

Ninety minutes later Janet had just walked in from the deck with two grilled steaks on a plate when she heard the garage door opening. Smiling, she set the steaks on the counter and went into their bathroom. By the time she returned Eddie was walking in the door.

"Welcome home."

"Where's the green and black lingerie?" She was still wearing the same clothes she had on when she came to his office.

"I was outside grilling your steaks. Did you really want the whole neighborhood to see me like that?"

"Good point. I am the only one who gets to see you in your sexy lingerie."

"Now your shower is ready Mr. Latekka." Janet took his hand. "Now, please come with me." Eddie allowed himself to be led to their bedroom where Janet slowly stripped him out of his work clothes. "The water is exactly as you like it. Once you are done with your shower, dinner will be ready." Janet kissed him slowly. "Enjoy."

Janet knew she didn't have much time because Eddie always showered fast when it wasn't first thing in the morning and especially when there was something exciting waiting for him when he was done. She already had the table set, the salad was tossed and the steaks were done so the only thing left was the potatoes. They were already in the microwave so she went over and hit start and while the potatoes were baking, she changed into the lingerie that Eddie requested.

She received a lot of sexy, racy lingerie at her impromptu bachelorette party and this particular one was one of those. It was black and green or the parts that weren't see-through sheer were black and green and it came half way down her thighs. It was very reveling and Eddie loved it. His favorite part of the whole ensemble was the crotchless panties because that allowed him easy access for everything he wanted to do to his wife.

"Damn baby. You look so hot." Eddie complimented coming out of their bedroom with a towel wrapped around his waist.

"I'm glad you like it." Janet walked over, wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately.

"I really hope there is more where that came from." Eddie mumbled when they broke apart.

"Oh there is. Come on, dinner is ready."

"What about my appetizer? You promised me an appetizer."

"I did, didn't I?" Janet reached out, pulled his towel and watched as it fell to the floor then with a sexy, sultry smile, she took his hand and led him to the couch, gently pushing him down. "I hope you're hungry." She told him as she straddled him.

"I am starved." He answered. His hands slid up under the flimsy yet sexy material. He groaned at feel of her skin under his hands.

"Good." Janet leaned forward pressed her lips to his and sank down on top of him. Eddie loved it when Janet rode him like this and tonight was all about Eddie and his desires.

* * *

"Tonight was awesome." Eddie whispered softly, kissing her head. They were in their hot tub, Eddie was sitting against the wall and Janet was sitting against his chest.

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself."

"You've got skills baby."

"Yes I know." She said proudly.

"Not that I am complaining, but what brought this wonderful evening on?"

"It's our anniversary." `

"That works." Janet turned her upper body towards her husband.

"You have been so stressed about Matt so I wanted to take your mind off of him for awhile anyways." It was true. Every time Janet was out of his sight he was worried about her and stressed out thinking about Matt. At this point Matt hasn't done anything but Janet has seen him around just watching her and that didn't sit well with Eddie. "But the reason behind this evening that was all about you is just because you always are doing such wonderful and thoughtful things for me so I wanted to do something wonderful and thoughtful for you."

"I love that you wanted to do something wonderful and thoughtful for me which you did but baby, I don't keep score. I do wonderful and thoughtful things for you because you are wonderful and thoughtful and I want to."

"I know it's not about keeping score. I guess that came out wrong. I love you and I want to do nice things for you."

"I can live with that." The couple then shared a sweet kiss.

"I'm so happy Eddie." Janet told him when they broke their embrace. "You've made me so happy."

"I'm happy too honey. Very happy. I'm not sure that I could be any happier."

"Oh really? That's a shame. I was hoping that I could make you happy again."

"Life is about getting happier and I can or we can become happier every day." Janet pulled out of his arms, stood and held out her hand.

"Shall we?" She reached out and grabbed his finger a gesture that was reminiscent of their first time making love. With his free hand, Eddie pulled himself up into a standing position.

"We've come really far haven't we?" He mumbled pulling her to his chest.

"And we have so much farther to go." Janet looked into her husband's eyes and saw the love she felt for him reflected in those brown eyes she adored. The two of them walked hand and hand into the house and showed each other just how happy they were.

* * *

The following weekend Janet decided to take an impromptu trip to Rhode Island to see Grams. Eddie, Mitch and Max had taken the day to attended a boat show in Boston and Janet had been included as well but a boat show wasn't her idea of a great time so she bowed out and let the Latekka men enjoy a day of male bonding which left Janet alone for the day hence the trip to Rhode Island.

Janet hadn't made the trip to Rhode Island since before the wedding and it wasn't for a lack of trying. Every time Janet called and tried to make arrangements to visit Grams gave her one reason after another that Janet and Eddie couldn't visit and as hard as it was for Janet, she listened to her grandmother, and did not visit but now, since she was without a husband for the day, she decided that she was going to visit her Grams without a warning phone call.

"Hey Janet." Anna, one of the long term nurses greeted her. "She finally gave in a called you huh?"

"What do you mean she finally gave in?" Janet saw panic fill the nurses face when she realized that she let something slip that she shouldn't have.

"It's just…uhh…she has been missing you and has been debating on whether or not to call you." Janet didn't buy it for a second. She rushed passed the nurses' station, down the hall to her grandmother's room.

Janet burst into the room without knocking and froze. Her vibrant grandmother was lying on her bed looking very weak and fragile. There was an oxygen mask on her grandmother's pale face and Janet knew her grandmother was sick. Janet sat next to her grandmother's bed and took her hand. "Grams." She whispered tearfully. Grams' eyes fluttered opened.

"Janey." Grams whispered. "What are you… doing here? Who called you?"

"No one called me. I came to see you."

"You…you…should have…called."

"Why so you could tell me not come?"

"Oh Janey…"Grams weakly reached out and wiped a tear off of her granddaughter's face.

"Grams what is wrong with you?"

"My heart baby girl…it's wearing out."

"Why…why…didn't you call me?"

"Why? There is nothing you can do for me…"

"I love you and I could have been here."

"Why so you could watch me die? I don't think so." Janet began to cry softly.

"I would have been here. I want to be here."

"I…don't…I didn't…want you to see me…like this…"

"Oh Grams." Janet leaned over and kissed her cheek. "I'm here now and I'm not going anywhere." Janet saw Grams smiley weakly under the oxygen mask and then she closed her eyes. When Grams fell asleep Janet snuck out to the nurses' station to find Anna.

"What is wrong with her? She told me her heart is wearing out." She asked.

"She has congestive heart failure."

"I… I don't know what that means."

"It's just what your grandmother said. Her heart is worn out. It's so weak that it can't pump the blood around her body and its backing up. In your grandmother's case, it's backing up in her lungs."

"Is she on medication? Will she get better?"

"No honey. She won't get better. She is on medication but it can only do so much." Janet nodded through her tears. In her heart, she knew Grams was dying in front of her eyes but she didn't want to believe it.

"Does…does my mom know?"

"No honey. No one in your family knows how bad she is." Janet wanted to be angry but she didn't have the energy for it. "It was her choice."

"Why?"

"She didn't want you or anyone to see her like this. She wanted you guys to remember her the way she was."

"Why?"

"Because she loves you all so much." Janet nodded and walked away to a corner so she could make a couple of phone calls. The first was to her mother and the second was to her husband. She got Eddie's voicemail. She explained as briefly as she could what was going on. She didn't ask him to come because she knew she wouldn't have to. He would be here as soon as he could. After telling him she loved him, she ended the call and returned to Grams' beside.

* * *

It was dark by the time Eddie got to the nursing home. He never heard his phone ring while he was in the convention center. He didn't get her message until they were leaving and Mitch got him to the nursing home as quickly as he could. He burst into the room and found Janet, Kat, Lillian and Patrick surrounding a sleeping Grams. Janet rose, grabbed Eddie's hand and led him out into the hall where she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly, burying her face in his neck.

"I'm sorry it took me so long to get here. I never heard my damn phone ring." He told her.

"You're here." She mumbled into his neck. They stood in hallway for a few minutes, just holding each other until Janet lifted her tear stained face to his. "She's dying Eddie." He didn't know what to say. He couldn't tell her that Grams would be fine even though he wanted to. He only saw Grams for a few seconds and to his untrained eye he could tell Grams didn't have much longer.

"I'm sorry sweetheart. "

"I don't want to lose her." She whispered. "I can't lose her."

"I know. No one wants to lose her." The door to Grams' room opened and Kat, Patrick and Lillian stepped out and the couple pulled apart.

"We're going to grab some coffee. Do you two want anything?" Kat asked.

"I'll take some." Eddie answered. "Honey?"

"Yeah sure."

"We'll be back in a few minutes."

"Come on sweetheart. Let's go see Grams." Eddie took her hand and they walked back into the room. Eddie sat in Janet's chair and she sat on his lap. Sensing their presence Grams' opened her eyes.

"Janey…Eddie…"

"Hiya Grams'." Eddie greeted tearfully.

"You are…a good man Eddie… You love…my Janey so much. I've always…wanted that for her…"

"I do love her Grams; very much."

"I love you…both…very much…"

"I love you too." Eddie and Janet told her together and a few minutes later, Grams drifted back off to sleep.

Three hours later, with her family at her bedside, Grams passed away peacefully and an hour after that, Eddie's heart was breaking as he listened to his wife's gut-wrenching sobs coming from the shower. He walked into the bathroom, reached behind the curtain and turned the water off. "Come on honey." Janet allowed Eddie to help her out and after she was dried off, Eddie wrapped her in the fluffy hotel robe and they went and sat on the bed together. Eddie propped up the pillows and leaned against them and Janet sat in front of him. He removed the towel from her head and began to comb out her long dark curls and waited for her to talk which she did a few minutes later.

"She knew Eddie. She knew she was dying and she never told any of us." She began to cry softly again. "I knew. Deep down I knew something was wrong. At our wedding she didn't look like herself. I asked her and she lied to me Eddie. She told me that she was fine." Now Janet's grief was replaced by anger. "I should have gone to see her. I shouldn't have listened to her when she gave me a reason that we couldn't come up and see her. I should have ignored her and just came to see her. I hate myself for not going with my gut and showing up. I missed so much time with Grams that I will never get back." Eddie continued combing her hair out and let her rant. She needed it.

"If I wouldn't have decided to come up here without calling…she would have…she would have died and I wouldn't have had the chance to say goodbye. She would have died not knowing how much I love her. I bet this is how Gramps died. They probably knew he was dying and didn't want any of us to see him like that." Eddie finished with her hair and she turned to him with tears running down her face. "It's selfish. I didn't get to say goodbye and I almost didn't get to say goodbye to Grams." Janet laid her head on Eddie's chest and they fell back onto the bed while he held her tight. Now it was time for him to talk.

"She did it to protect you sweetheart."

"I don't need protecting."

"To Grams, you did. She didn't want you see her like that."

"I don't care."

"Look at it this way Janet. You got to see and say goodbye to her and she died knowing how much you love her which by the way she knew before. She has always known."

"Oh Eddie. She's gone." She sobbed onto his chest. "Grams is gone." Eddie tightened his arms around her, shed silent tears of his own and held her until she cried herself to sleep.

* * *

The funeral was held three days later and it was a heartbreaking situation for all but especially Janet. She loved her grandmother dearly and now there was a big empty hole in her heart without her Grams in it. Eddie was heartbroken as well because he had grown to love Grams. During her eulogy, Janet said wonderful things about her beloved grandmother and there wasn't a dry eye in the funeral home.

Saying goodbye to and burying her grandmother was one of the hardest things that Janet ever had to do. Having family and friends there to support her did help. Nick, Hannah, Sam and Carolyn came to offer their condolences as did Sully. The biggest surprise that touched Janet beyond words was Mitch, Judee and Max showing up. They had met Grams and liked her and wanted to pay their respects but the main reason they showed was because they loved Janet and wanted to support her and they knew how Eddie felt about Grams and wanted to be there for him as well.

Janet knew, without a doubt that she would not have made it through the calling hours or funeral without her devoted and wonderful husband by her side. He put up with so much from her over the last few days. She yelled; she screamed; she cried; she gave the world the silent treatment; she grieved and he was there by her side through it all; something that would have pleased Grams' immensely.

* * *

"Whatca thinking about?" Eddie asked. The two of them were on their way home from Rhode Island and Janet had been staring straight ahead, lost in thought. He knew she was thinking about Grams and he thought it may help her if she talked about it.

"Grams is never going to see our children." Janet softly told him. "I wanted so badly for her to be here when we had children. I wanted them know what a wonderful woman their great- grandmother was."

"They'll know it because we will tell them."

"It won't be the same."

"No honey it won't." Since they were in her jeep Janet didn't have the option of sliding over next to her husband so instead she lay her head on his arm.

"I miss her so much."

"I know baby. I miss her too."

"Thanks for being there for me."

"Where else would I have been?"

"I couldn't have done it without you."

"Yes you could have. You are the strongest woman I know."

"I don't feel very strong right now."

"You'll get a little better each day."

"Promise?" She asked as tears rolled down her face.

"I promise."


	41. Chapter 41

Eddie was sitting on the bed about to doze off when he heard the shower turn off. That was his cue. He rubbed his eyes, got off the bed, turned off the bedroom light then stood in front of the bathroom door and finally he lit the candle that was in the chocolate cupcake.

The bathroom door opened and when Janet stepped out she almost walked into Eddie. "What…?" Her eyes quickly adjusted to the dark and that's when she saw the cupcake on the plate with a candle in the middle.

"Happy Birthday sweetheart." Eddie told his wife. "Make a wish." There was nothing that Janet could think of to wish for. She had everything she wanted but she didn't want to disappoint Eddie so thought and came up with a wish. Closing her eyes she wished for a happy, healthy baby in the future and then she blew out the candle.

"What did you wish for?" Eddie asked removing some of the frosting with his finger and holding it up to Janet's lips. She always ate the frosting off of a cupcake first and then she ate the cake. Janet reached out, took his finger and placed it in her mouth, licking the icing off.

"If I tell you it won't come true." She reached her finger out and swiped the rest of the pink icing off the cupcake and licked her finger clean.

"Milk?" Eddie produced a glass of milk and handed it to her.

"You're the best. Want some?" Janet broke off a piece of the cupcake.

"I've got my own." Eddie picked a box of cupcakes off of the bed, pulled one out and shoved the entire thing into his mouth.

"My God, you have a big mouth." She commented and he just grinned as he made himself comfortable on their bed.

As soon as Janet finished her cupcake, she went over to her husband and straddled his lap. He had just reached for his second cupcake and she reached out and took the cupcake out of his hand, eating the frosting.

"Hey!" He complained with a smile. "That's mine."

"It's my birthday." She said, sticking a finger full of icing into his mouth. "But I will share."

"How nice of you to share."

"I will share anything with you." The two of them fed each other the remaining two cupcakes. When Janet placed the last piece of cupcake in his mouth she kissed his neck. "Thank you for my birthday cupcakes."

"It was my pleasure." Eddie wrapped his arms around his wife's waist, lifted his face up to hers and kissed her, falling back onto the bed and bringing her with him. He pulled an arm off of her back and used it to untie her rob. Suddenly Janet pulled away and rolled off of him. "You can be a little late for work."

"You know I can't and besides my monthly friend is paying me a visit."

"Of course." Eddie groaned as Janet placed her hand on his upper thigh.

"But that doesn't mean that this can't end well for you." Janet told him with a grin.

* * *

"Welcome to the Johnson Inn. How can I help you?" Janet was covering at the front desk while her normal clerk took her lunch break.

"I have a delivery for Janet Latekka." The delivery man reached down and placed a bouquet of roses on the desk. "Can you deliver these to the correct room?"

"Of course I can. Thank you." As soon as the delivery man left, Janet examined the arrangement. The roses were beautiful but unlike Eddie; he has never sent her roses. He usually sent her Lillies since they were her favorite.

"Wow. Those are gorgeous." Kristen commented returning from her lunch. "Birthday flowers from your hubby?"

"Who else?" Janet answered with a grin. She grabbed the flowers and took them to her office. After finding the perfect spot for them she finally grabbed the card.

_Happy Birthday Janet.  
I have a gift for you that is much better then when Eddie gives you.  
You are going to love it.  
-Matt_

Janet immediately felt sick and began to shake. To her, Matt has been nothing but a minor annoyance with his creepy creeping and for the most part Janet didn't give him a second thought; he wasn't worth her time. Unlike Eddie, she didn't think Matt was anything more than a creep who simply wanted to push her husband's buttons but now, as she reread the card, she realized how foolish she had been. Eddie was right. Matt had the capability of really hurting her. She grabbed the flowers and walked out of her office, out the back door and threw the roses in the dumpster. After taking a deep breath she returned to her office, shutting the door behind her. She needed to call Eddie and she needed to do it in private but before she could call, her office phone rang.

"This is Janet. Can I help you?"

"Did you not like my roses?" Janet's eyes widened in shock. "I spent a lot of time picking out the perfect bouquet for you."

"No Matt, I didn't like them."

"Do you have any idea how much money I spent on them?"

"I'm sorry that you wasted your money but if you knew me at all you would know that I am not a fan of roses."

"But did you have to throw them away? That's just rude Janet." Her heart began to pound. He was around; watching her.

"I don't want roses from you. I don't want anything from you ever so stop wasting your money because if you ever send me something else I will throw it away."

"You hurt my feelings Janet and you will pay for that."

"Leave me alone Matt. Don't ever contact me again." She hung up the phone stood and walked over to the window in her office. She pulled the blinds back slightly and saw Matt standing outside next to her car, staring right back at her. He winked, placed a rose underneath her windshield wiper and walked to his truck and drove away.

Shaking, Janet returned to her desk. Her first instinct was to pick up the phone and call Eddie. She was really freaked out and wanted to call her husband. She wanted to hear his voice because she knew the sound of his voice would ease some of the fear and anxiety she was feeling but she knew if she told him what had happened he would lose his mind but he had to know. Janet picked up the phone and dialed Eddie's phone.

"Hey birthday girl." Eddie answered.

"Matt showed up today." She blurted out in a shaking voice.

"Are you okay?" Eddie asked calmly and Janet nodded. "Honey?"

"Oh…sorry. He didn't hurt me. He sent me flowers and was watching me from outside." Janet took a deep breath. "I'm really freaked out." She admitted softly.

"Is he still there?"

"No. He's gone."

"Stay at work. I'll be there as soon as I can okay?"

"Okay."

"I love you Janet."

"I love you too."

* * *

On the outside Eddie projected a very calm appearance but he was reeling on the inside. During this whole "Matt Situation" Janet had been calm and for her to admit today, that she was freaked out Eddie knew that Matt somehow crossed the line and that terrified him. There were so many possibilities running through his mind about what Matt had done to Janet; none of them pleasant. He had to get to her and see with his own two eyes that she was okay.

It took longer than he anticipated and wanted to leave the job site since they were short handed and it was the longest forty five minutes of his life but as soon as the floor was installed he bolted and then to add to his stress The Johnson Inn was another thirty minutes away from the job site. He couldn't get to Janet fast enough but finally, he pulled into the parking lot. He was putting the truck in park and opening the door at the same time and then rushed in.

"Hi Mr. Latekka." Kristen greeted him.

"Is Janet in her office?"

"She is. Go on back."

"Thanks Kristen." Eddie did as he was told and he went to Janet's office. He knocked softly and walked into her office. "Jan…" He shut his mouth because he saw that she was on the phone. She held up a finger, indicating that he should wait so he went and sat on the edge of her desk, next to her.

"I'm sorry Mrs. Nicholson but your contract states that if you cancel the room within a week of when you have it booked for you cannot get your deposit back." Janet listened silently to Mrs. Nicholson for the next few minutes adding the appropriate "Uh Huhs' when appropriate. "Call us as soon as the wedding is rescheduled and we will book the room." Janet said goodbye and ended the call. When she turned and looked back at Eddie her eyes were full of tears. They stood, wrapped their arms around each other and hugged tightly.

"Are you okay?" He asked, wiping her tears away with his thumb.

"I am now that you are here."

"So what happened?" Janet handed Eddie the card that came with the roses and Eddie's blood pressure began to rise as he read the words.

"I got the impression that he is referring to sex." Eddie nodded. "Do you…do you…think that he wants to…"

"We are going to the cops." Eddie interrupted.

"Do you think that they can arrest him?"

"Let's find out. I'm not taking any chances."

Janet took care of a couple of things and twenty minutes later the two of them were in his truck on the way to the police station. Eddie insisted that Janet ride with him. He had no intention of letting his wife out of his sight. During the short ride to the police station Janet relayed everything that happened regarding the roses and by the time he pulled into the parking lot Eddie had a sick feeling in his stomach.

* * *

"I am sorry Mrs. Latekka but there is nothing we can do." Officer Stover told Eddie and Janet.

"He threatened her. We should at least be able to get a restraining order." Eddie exclaimed.

"Unfortunately, this is a case of he said she said."

"He told me that I would pay for throwing away the roses." Janet explained again.

"Mr. Lausch stated that he meant that he wanted you to reimburse him for the cost of the flowers." When Eddie and Janet came in with their complaint the cops brought Matt in to question him about the incident.

"That is such a load of crap." Eddie snapped and then sighed. "Well what about the card?" Eddie pushed the card across the desk back towards Officer Stover.

"It's a birthday greeting."

"No it's not." Eddie roared.

"Relax Eddie." Janet whispered.

"Mr. Latekka you and I may interpret the words on that card to be a threat but judges don't interpret. There is not a specific threat on that card so legally there is nothing we can do."

"Of course not." He muttered. "So what you are telling me that because he didn't make a threat in writing or physically hurt my wife there isn't a legal leg to stand on but as soon as he hurts her, we can get a restraining order."

"I'm sorry."

"This whole system is a piece of crap."

"I'm sorry. I wish that there was more I could do."

"I understand." Janet mumbled.

"Well I don't." Janet stood and pulled Eddie up with her. "I will not let that bastard hurt my wife."

"Is that a threat Eddie?" Matt asked. At that moment, Matt was being escorted out of the police station and he overhead Eddie's comment. Eddie released Janet's hand and walked up to Matt.

"No Lausch it wasn't a threat. It was simply a statement that cannot be interpreted as anything but a statement." Matt grinned and looked past Eddie to Janet.

"Happy Birthday Janet. Let me know when you want my gift."

"Do not talk to her. Do not even look at her. Stay the hell away from my wife Lausch."

"Or what Eddie?" Matt was trying to get Eddie to threaten him but Eddie wasn't biting.

"Let's go honey." Janet pulled Eddie's hand.

"Stay away from her." Eddie warned again.

"Bye Janet." Matt said and Janet just ignored him and pulled Eddie out of the door.

When they reached his truck Eddie around and glared at Matt who was sauntering out of the police station with a stupid grin on his face. It took every bit of self restraint that Eddie had not run across the parking lot and slam Matt's head into the pavement. When Matt finally drove away, a free man Eddie became infuriated.

"Son of a bitch." He suddenly shouted, slamming his hand into the side of his truck, close to Janet's head, causing her to jump.

"What in the hell Eddie?"

"It's not fair. It's not right. He threatened you and he is walking out of here a free man who can hurt you. If I do what I want to do to keep you safe I end up in jail and you end up alone and hurt."

"Let's get out of here." Janet wasn't going to argue with him because he was exactly right. She opened the door and climbed into the truck. Eddie shut her in and went to the driver's side and climbed in himself.

"You're probably not in the mood for going out for your birthday dinner are you?" Eddie asked as he started up the truck.

"No. I just want to go home."

"I figured. I'm sorry that jerk ruined your birthday." Janet didn't comment so Eddie began to drive.

"Hey. I need my car." Eddie turned the truck in the opposite direction of The Johnson Inn.

"Nick and I will get it tomorrow."

"What? Why? That makes no sense. Without my jeep you will have to take me to work in the morning. Let's just go and get it now."

"No. You aren't driving alone. I am going to take you and pick you up from work every day."

"Are you kidding me?"

"No Janet I am not kidding you. I don't trust Matt at all so I am not letting you go out alone."

"What? I am not a child Eddie and I will not be driven around like I am a child."

"You are not going to be out and about alone where Matt can get to you at any time so I am doing what needs to be done to keep you safe. The only time that you won't be with me is while you are at work."

"That is not happening. Take me to my car."

"Not a chance."

"Eddie I swear to God, turn this car around and take me back to work."

"No Janet I'm not. This is the way it has to be." Janet shook her head.

"I AM NOT going to change the way I live my life."

"It's precautions Janet not changes."

"Bull. Getting a ride to and from work like I am a child being punished for something is change and I'm not going to have it." Eddie had pulled into their garage.

"Look Janet, this isn't meant to make you feel like a child. I just want to protect you." Janet responded by getting out of the truck, slamming the door and storming into the house. Sighing, Eddie followed her inside and found her out on their deck watching Jasper run around the back yard. He grabbed them both a beer and stepped out onto the deck.

"I'm not thirsty." She mumbled setting the beer on the table. Eddie sighed and sat down and drank half of his beer with one drink.

"I understand why you feel like you are being treated like a child. I should have asked you if you were okay with me taking you to and from work instead of just telling you." Eddie admitted softly.

After a minute Janet turned around to face Eddie and she had tears rolling down her face. She walked over, sat on his lap, wrapped her arms around his neck, buried her head in the crook of his shoulder and that's when she began to cry. All of the fear and anxiety that she had been feeling came bubbling to the surface in the form of tears. Eddie held her tightly and let her cry.

"I'm sorry I snapped." She whispered once she finally calmed down. "I am scared Eddie and I don't care what the cops say; I feel like Matt was threatening me."

"He was baby."

"I am so angry but not at you. I am mad as hell at Matt. He has intruded into my, into our life and I hate that. I hate that I have to always be looking over my shoulder. I hate that we have to rearrange our lives because of the fact that he may hurt me and I hate that I believe that he will hurt me. It gives him more power and I don't want him to have that power but he has it Eddie. He has power over me; over us."

"Only as much as we let him have."

"If you are taking me to and from work we are giving him power."

"If it keeps you safe, I'm willing to relinquish a little power." Janet sighed and snuggled closer to Eddie.

"You know, I thought that our first year of marriage was supposed to be magical and so far not so much. Grams died and now we have this Matt crap."

"But besides the loss of Grams and this Matt crap, I think that things have been pretty magical." Janet nodded.

"Our six month anniversary is in a couple of weeks." Janet informed him.

"What are you thinking honey?"

"I was going to talk to you about my birth control. I am supposed to start another pack on Sunday and I was thinking that instead of starting another pack I was just going to stop so we can start trying for a baby."

"But…?" Eddie knew there was more and he had an idea what was coming next.

"Should we try with what is going on with Matt?" Yep, that's what he thought was on her mind. He lifted her head so he could see her face.

"If we wait we are giving that bastard more power than he deserves. Do you want him controlling our life like that? What happens if we wait until Matt does something and nothing ever happens and then we will miss our chance to have our baby."

"But what if something happens and our baby ends up paying the price?" There was no right or wrong answer because the points they each made were possibilities.

"It's your body and I will support whatever choice you make."

"But it's not just my choice Eddie. We are talking about our baby; the one that we will make together."

"Okay then for what it's worth I say screw Matt. I want to knock you up soon." Janet had to laugh at his choice of words.

"I don't want Matt to dictate our lives. I want to try for a baby as planned. When Sunday comes around I will not start a new pack of pills."

"I can't wait to start trying."

"Not only don't I want Matt dictating when we have our baby but I don't want Matt dictating anything in our lives period which means that I will be driving myself to work every day."

"But…"

"He has already made us scared and on edge and that's enough. I refuse to give him any more than that. I know you don't like it but I am going to continue to live my life as I normally do but I will be more cautious than ever. If I get to work and he is in the parking lot, I will call in and have someone escort me in. When I leave I will have someone walk me out. I won't go to the grocery store alone. You can come with me but Eddie, that's all that I am willing to give."

"I don't like it."

"I know you don't but it's what I want Eddie."

"Okay but I am taking you to work tomorrow since your jeep is already there."

"That is acceptable." Eddie nodded.

"Another thing that is non-negotiable. I am having an alarm system installed. I am going to call in some favors and hopefully it will be done tomorrow. I will feel better knowing that when you are home alone there will be an alarm."

"You won't get any argument from me."

"Really? Are you sure cause I am ready to fight this one out."

"I'm sure." Janet cupped his cheek in her hand. "Thank you. Thank you for loving me so much." Before he could respond, Janet was leaning forward and pressing her lips to his, mumbling how much she loved him when they broke their embrace.

"Sorry your birthday was ruined."

"It wasn't ruined. I got the best birthday cupcakes."

"That's not all you got." Eddie patted her butt. "Up."

"Excuse me?" She asked with a grin.

"Can you please remove yourself from my lap so we can go inside and I can give you your birthday present?"

"Well since you asked so nicely I suppose I can do that." After another quick kiss, the couple returned inside the house followed by Jasper.

"Happy Birthday sweetheart." Eddie sat a box on her lap.

"Did you wrap it yourself?" He nodded with a grin. "Not bad Latekka." It was only slightly wrinkled with a few corners sticking out.

Janet slowly peeled away the paper to revel a clothes box. Assuming it was lingerie since that was the only type of clothing he picked out for her she pulled the lid of off the box and gasped in surprise when she was the book.

One of Janet's interests was the Titanic. She had a few books on it and was always reading books about it and she had seen numerous movies about the ill-fated ship. One of her favorite movies was Titanic because the romantic in her loved the love story and she has forced Eddie to sit through it.

Sitting inside the box was the most beautiful photo book on the Titanic that Janet had ever seen. The cover was gorgeous and the pictures inside were just as amazing. Eddie grinned as she slowly flipped the pages "Ohhing" and "Ahhing" over them. When she got to the middle of the book she found a small envelope. She looked up at Eddie and found him smiling proudly. She opened the envelope and pulled out two tickets to the "Titanic" exhibit that was going to be in Boston the next month. She had seen and heard the advertisements for it but she never said anything to anyone about going because no one would want to go with her so she just dreamed about it from afar.

"How did you…?" Janet asked tearfully.

"I heard about it on the radio. I am actually surprised you never mentioned it to me which worked to my advantage because I was able to surprise you and baby, seeing that look on your face was amazing."

"I didn't say anything because I knew you wouldn't want to go."

"I also didn't want to go to the French restaurant but I did."

"I know but…"

"If it's something that you want to do then I am willing to try it; at least once." He added with a wink.

"So you are going with me?"

"Didn't I just say that?" Janet jumped up and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"You are the best." She told him with a radiant smile.

"Duh." Eddie joked and then he turned serious. "Happy Birthday Janet."

"Thank you." The two leaned in and shared a kiss breaking apart when Janet's stomach growled. "Okay. Now I want you to take me out to Sully's for my birthday dinner."

"Sully's? Really that's what you want for your birthday?"

"Yep."

"All right. Your wish is my command." Eddie said and Janet knew how very true those words were. She knew that he would do absolutely anything she asked of him and she hoped he knew she would do the same for him.


	42. Chapter 42

"Wow. You look hot." Eddie complemented his wife as she came into the living room. She was wearing a knee length jean skirt with a gray sparkling top. To top her outfit off, she had on a pair of gray high heeled sparkling sandals.

"You're just biased." Janet told him with a smile. The compliment did make her feel all giddy inside.

"Probably but regardless, looking at you, I am one lucky guy." Janet walked over and kissed him.

"Yes you are." Janet then checked him out. "You don't look so bad yourself Latekka." He was wearing a nice fitting pair of jeans that made his butt look really good and a nice form fitting light green polo shirt with two of the three buttons unbuttoned.

"Tonight, you and I will be the hottest looking couple in the Ridge." Tonight, they were heading out to Sully's for a goodbye party for one of the girls that Janet worked with and they were both looking forward to a night out.

"I think I'm going to have to bring a stick to keep all of the girls away from you."

"Better make it a big one cause, damn, I look good." Janet shook her head. "What? I do look good."

"Yes baby. You do look good." Eddie pulled Janet to his chest but before he could kiss her, his phone rang. "Go ahead. Answer it. I'll take Jasper out."

"Sorry." Five minutes later Eddie walked into the kitchen where Janet was giving Jasper his bathroom treat.

"What's up?"

"Work. There is an issue at the site."

"They're still working?"

"It's Ikey's crew. They have been having issues all day and they need my help."

"Okay. Go and do what you need to do. Hopefully you will get done quickly and your outfit won't go to waste."

"Look honey, I really want you to wait until I get home before you go to the party." Janet knew this was coming. Since her birthday, these last two months have been "Matt Uneventful" meaning that neither Janet nor Eddie has seen or heard anything from Matt but the couple was still cautious.

"I know that but listen. Matt is banned from Sully's. His picture is at the door and Sully has increased the number of bouncers. Matt will not get into Sully's. I will call Sully when I get there and have a bouncer escort me in and by the time I am ready to leave I will have the best protection in the joint walking me to my car; you." Eddie had to admit, Janet had some very good points.

"Okay but let me drop you off." Janet opened her mouth but Eddie kept talking. "Before you get all ticked my reasoning is that it will just be easier for us to take one vehicle home."

"I can live with that." Twenty minutes later Eddie and Janet were kissing goodbye inside Sully's because, of course, Eddie insisted on walking Janet in. Before he left and once Janet was distracted by her co-workers he snuck up to the bar and even though it didn't have to be done, Eddie asked Sully to keep an eye on Janet. With a final lingering glass at Janet, Eddie left to go to work.

* * *

"Excuse me. Can I borrow your ketchup?" Janet and the three other girls that were sitting at her booth looked at each other in shock. The guy who asked to borrow the ketchup didn't even wait for an answer. He just leaned across the table; bumping Janet's drink in the process, and grabbed the ketchup.

"Sure. Why not?" Janet answered him sarcastically.

"Thanks ladies."

"Hey and next time, don't be so rude. Wait for an answer." Janet told him. The guy smirked and walked away. "What a jerk." The girls laughed and returned to their conversation.

Thirty minutes later, Janet had to go to the bathroom. She slid out of the booth, stood and immediately felt dizzy. She hadn't eaten in awhile and Sully must have made her drink stronger than usual. That was why she was dizzy. She asked the girls to order her some nachos and she unsteadily, she made her way to the bathroom.

After taking care of her bathroom needs and washing her hands she threw some water on her face, hoping that would help. She couldn't believe just after one drink she was really drunk. She must be getting older for alcohol to affect her this way. She felt wobbly, confused and happy.

"Janet right?" Janet squinted at the guy in front of her. It was really hard to keep her eyes open all the way.

"Yeah." She answered slowly. "Who are you?"

"Mike. I've been a regular here for years." Janet couldn't place him but her mind was pretty fuzzy at the moment so she took his word. "Eddie is here to pick you up. He is outside."

"Why am I leaving?"

"Sully called him to pick you up. The old man didn't want you driving." That sounded like something Sully would do.

"My…husband is outside?"

"Yep." Mike winked at her. "Have a nice night." Shaking her head, Janet staggered back to the table.

"Sully called Eddie to pick me up so I guess I have to go."

"That stinks."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get so trashed. I didn't eat lunch today."

"It's okay."

"Have fun girls." Janet giggled, waved and left the bar.

"Janet." She turned when she heard her name.

"Matt. I'm looking for Eddie."

"Eddie is over here. Come on. I'll take you to him."

"I'm…I shouldn't go with you."

"Come on Janet. You shouldn't be out here by yourself in your condition."

"My condition?"

"You are drunk sweetheart. I couldn't live with myself if something happened to you."

"Okay." In Janet's fuzzy mind, what Matt was suggesting made sense to her.

* * *

Two hours after dropping Janet off Eddie was walking into Sully's. Thankfully, the job issue wasn't too complicated and between himself and Ikey they were able to take care of it relatively quickly. Eddie scanned the bar and didn't see Janet. Assuming that she was in the bathroom, he grabbed a beer and found a seat near the bathrooms so he could greet her when she came out.

"Excuse me." A young redheaded woman looked up at Eddie when he approached her. Seeing what a good looking man he was, she batted her eyes.

"Hey there handsome. Want to buy me a drink?"

"Sorry but no. I'm looking for my wife…"

"What a shame." Eddie fought the urge to roll his eyes. He was so glad that he was happily married and out of the dating game.

"Was there anyone in the bathroom?" He had seen three women come and go from the bathroom but not Janet.

"No. The stalls were empty so since she has stood you up…" Eddie walked away and over to Sully.

"Have you seen Janet?" Eddie asked and Sully looked at the table where Janet had been seated.

"We've been slammed so I hadn't seen her lately. Have you checked the bathroom?"

"Yes and she's not there."

"Maybe she is in the parking lot." Sully suggested as he made his way around the bar.

"She has no reason to be outside."

"Maybe she is looking for you."

"Yeah. Maybe."

"Come on son. Let's go find her." The two men went outside and searched the parking lot but did not find her. "Have you called her?" Sully asked.

"No."

"Maybe she took a cab."

"She didn't take a cab." Eddie snapped. "He…he…got to her."

"You don't know that."

"Where else would she be?"

"Call her." Eddie took out his phone and pressed number one – the first speed dial on his phone.

"HI it's Janet. I can't get to my phone so leave me a message and I will get back to you as soon as I can. Thanks." Eddie's heart sank when the voice mail kicked in. He knew, that if she could she would answer her phone.

"Hey baby it's me. I'm at Sully's and I can't find you. Call me." Eddie ended the call. "I'm going to run home and see if I missed her. Call me if she surfaces."

"I will. I'm sure she is fine."

"I'm sure she's not." Eddie knew in his gut that Matt had gotten to Janet and he was never going to forgive himself for leaving her alone tonight. Before leaving, he returned to the bar, to Janet's co-workers which eventually led him to the booth of girls that were sitting with Janet earlier.

"Hey ladies. I'm Eddie Latekka, Janet's husband." Introductions were made as they shook hands. "I'm looking for Janet. Have you seen her?" The women at the table exchanged confused looks.

"She left about an hour ago,"

"With who? Did she say?"

"You."

"Excuse me?"

"She was really drunk."

"How much did she drink?" Getting really drunk at a work gathering was very unlike his wife. Even though it was a social situation, Janet was their boss and she didn't want to get totally trashed in front of her employees. She was afraid of losing their respect.

"One mixed drink." Eddie was confused. Janet could hold her alcohol. In fact she could drink him under the table if she wanted to. Suddenly, Eddie got a sick feeling in his stomach.

"That's it?"

"She said that it was hitting her hard because she skipped lunch." Sighing, he ran his hand through his hair.

"You said that she left with me. Why do you think that?"

"She said so. She came back from the bathroom and told us that you were waiting outside for her. Sully called you to come and pick her up because he didn't want her driving."

"Janet would never drive drunk." He knew it. Sully knew it. "Thank you."

Eddie left Sully's and rushed home. Even though the house was dark and he knew she wasn't home, Eddie went through the house calling her name but she never answered his call. He called his parents and her parents to see if maybe she had decided for an impromptu visit but no one had seen her. He called Nick and Hannah but she wasn't there either and that's when the panic really began to set in and he asked for help. His dad, Janet's dad, Nick, Owen, Ikey and himself spent the next two hours driving around, covering every square inch of Knights Ridge looking for Janet or Matt's truck but it proved fruitless.

"Should we spread out? Maybe hit Mission Flats?" Nick asked when they all met up again at Sully's.

"Yeah. That might be a good idea because they are nowhere to be found here." Owen answered. Eddie was simply staring out into space. "What do you think Eddie?"

"I…uhh…yeah. Whatever." Eddie wasn't really paying attention. He was consumed with worry and the thoughts running through his mind of what his Janet was going through were driving him nuts.

"What about the cops? Have you been to the cops?" Ikey asked.

"They won't do a damn thing."

"You don't know until you try." Ikey was trying to be helpful but it just infuriated Eddie.

"Yes I do." He shouted. "We have been to the cops. We told them that Matt was trouble; that he was going to do something to Janet. We asked for a restraining order but couldn't get one because he didn't physically do anything to her and now…now that he has the cops won't do anything because she hasn't been missing long enough so Ikey, we are on our own. Janet…" Eddie's anger was turning into heartbreak. "Janet is out there somewhere…and I…I…can't get to her. He is…" He began to sob. Mitch walked over and took his son in his arms. "I was supposed to keep her safe…protect her…and I….I failed her."

"No son. You didn't fail her."

"I did. I left her alone and he…"

"If Matt is the one who did this then he is to blame; not you."

"Damn right Matt is to blame and I swear to God when I get my hands on him I WILL destroy him. There will be nothing left of that slimy piece of crap! He will regret the day…" Eddie's phone beeped alerting him to a text message. Everyone became silent as Eddie read it.

_Wow Latekka! Now I know why you married her. Her skin is like porcelain and it's so soft. She smells so good but you know that better than anyone and now I know it too. That woman is a wildcat. It's a night that I won't soon forget. _

"Is it Janet?" Nick asked.

"I…he…Oh God…No." The phone fell from Eddie's hand. "Nonononononono." He mumbled over and over as he slid to the ground. "Not my Janet. Not my sweet Janet."

"What has happened to my daughter?" Patrick asked anxiously.

"We don't know."

"Yes you do." Patrick reached out and grabbed Eddie's phone that Mitch had picked up out of his hand. He read the message and grew pale and this time, he dropped the phone and Eddie picked it up and stared at the words. "Janet." He whispered.

"Look we don't know for sure that anything actually has happened to Janet." Mitch told the group even though he didn't believe a word that was coming out of his mouth. He was just hoping to calm everyone down. "Hell, the number is blocked. We don't even know that it was Matt that sent Eddie this message."

"It was Matt."

"Knock it off Ikey. You are not helping." Owen snapped as he squatted next to Eddie. "Your dad is right Eddie. We don't know for sure what if anything has happened to Janet." Eddie didn't respond. He just stared straight ahead with tears rolling down his face.

Owen stood and everyone but Eddie gathered together to form their next move. Everyone was talking at once so none of them heard Eddie's phone signaling another text message from a blocked number again. This time there was an address of a motel and a note that the key is waiting for him in the manager's office. Eddie jumped up and was speeding away before anyone realized what was going on.

According to the text message the hotel where Janet was at least thirty minutes away going normal speed, from the Ridge, somewhere they probably never would have found. Eddie made it there in twenty minutes. He turned into the parking lot on two wheels, slammed on his brakes and was out of his truck without turning it off.

"I need the key for room one twenty two." He demanded. "Someone left the key here for me."

"Lemme check." The clerk slowly pulled his eyes away from the television he was watching and his body out of the recliner.

"This is an emergency. Can you move a little faster?" If he didn't pick up the pace Eddie was going to jump over the counter and find the key himself.

"Here ya go."

"Where is the room?"

"Don't you know?"

"Dammit where in the hell is the room?" Eddie shouted.

"In the corner on the back side of the building." Eddie bolted out of the office and ran to room one twenty two, ignoring the shouts of his friends, his dad and Janet's dad who had followed him. With a shaking hand, he unlocked the door and burst into the room.

"Janet." He yelled. The room was dark and he couldn't see a thing. He ran his hand over the wall until he found the light. After a second his eyes adjusted and he saw her clothes on the floor and then his eyes landed on beloved wife on the bed, and not moving. "Janet." He cried rushing over and shaking her. "Janet, baby wake up. Please wake up." After what seemed like an eternity her eyes fluttered but did not open. "Thank God."

"Eddie?" He turned to the door. "Janet?" Patrick asked.

"She's…she is passed out. Give us a few minutes." He didn't want anyone seeing her like this.

"Should we call an ambulance?" Owen inquired.

"Not yet. Let me wake her up first." He glanced at Janet and then back at the door. "Can you give us some privacy?" He asked tearfully.

"Sure. Come one guys." Mitch ushered them away and shut the door.

"Janet, honey wake up." Eddie said softly as he began to shake her. She responded with a moan. "That's my girl. Open those eyes so I can see those baby blues." Finally, she pried her eyes opened and instead of blue Eddie saw a lot of black because her pupils were so dilated. "Hey babe."

"Eddie." Her voice was thick and she felt like she had a mouthful of cotton. It was hard to talk.

"Hi." He whispered tearfully. Janet could see that Eddie looked like he was going to cry but she wasn't sure why. "I am so glad to see you." He reached out and cupped her cheek.

"What's…wrong?" She asked in a groggy voice.

"Janet…you were…I think…"

"Eddie where am I?" She suddenly realized she didn't know where she was and she was naked. "My clothes…why am I naked?" Eddie couldn't answer her. He didn't know how to tell her what he thinks happened. "Eddie what in the hell is going on?" Tears fell from his eyes and Janet finally understood. "No. No. No."

"Baby… What's the last thing you remember?"

"I was at Sully's having a drink." Eddie's fears were confirmed. Janet was slipped the date-rape drug. "Tell me what happened." She demanded.

"I don't know anything for sure sweetheart. I showed up at Sully's and the girls you were with told me you left with me. They said that you were so drunk that Sully called me to come and pick you up so you wouldn't drive home."

"I would never drive drunk."

"I know that."

"You didn't pick me up did you?"

"No Janet. I didn't."

"Matt?"

"I don't that for sure but, yeah I think so. Who else?"

"Did he…was I…"Tears fell from Janet's eyes. "Eddie was I raped?" She whispered.

"I don't know." Eddie cried. Janet jumped out of bed and ran into the bathroom. When Eddie heard the shower turn on he ran to her. "Janet. No." Eddie pulled her away from the shower.

"I have to get…him off of me." She struggled against Eddie but he was stronger and pulled her out of the bathroom.

"You can't shower. There may be something on your body to catch him. We need to go to the hospital." She stared at him with a confused look on her face. "Baby, we have to go to the hospital so they can give you an exam to see if…" He was having trouble saying the words. "To make sure Matt is caught if he was the one who did this to you then we have to go by the book. You can't shower and wash away any evidence. It's the only way." She fell against her husband and they slumped to the floor.

"Why Eddie? Why did he do this to me?" She sobbed against his chest.

"I don't know." He cried with her. "I just don't know."

The couple sat on the floor of the seedy motel, holding each other and crying for the next fifteen minutes. Once their tears subsided, Eddie helped Janet get dressed and with a protective arm wrapped around her, they walked out of the room and were instantly surrounded by the guys and their dads. Eddie would only let Mitch and Patrick pull her out of his protective grasp and when they hugged their daughter and daughter in law Janet didn't respond to their embrace. She just stood there with her arms at her sides.

* * *

"Hi Janet. I am Detective Swanson and this is my partner Detective Carrey."

"Hi Janet."

"Hi."

"The hospital called us in because you came in because you think you were raped. Is that correct?"

"Yes."

"Can you tell us why you think that?"

"I think that because I woke up naked in a strange hotel room. I have no recollection of going there or who I was there with."

"Have you been drinking?" Janet nodded. "How much?"

"I only remember having one drink."

"What is the last thing you remember?"

"I was at Sully's."

"I need you to be more specific."

"I was there for a goodbye party. I was in a booth with three other co-workers drinking an Appletini."

"Did a waitress bring you your drink?"

"No. I went up to the bar and got it myself. I talked to Sully the entire time he was making it."

"So your drink never left your sight."

"No."

"Can you recall anything unusual that happened after you had your drink?" Janet thought hard.

"Some jerk had to borrow the ketchup from our table. He was asking as he leaned across our table to get it. He didn't even wait for an answer. He just leaned over and…"

"What honey?"

"He bumped my drink. I remember a little of it spilling. Could that have been when the drugs were slipped into my drink?"

"It's possible. Is that all you can think of?" Janet nodded. "Now let's talk about when you woke up. What happened when you woke up?"

"Eddie woke me up. I was really confused and didn't understand what was going on because the last place I remember was being at Sully's." The detectives turned to Eddie.

"You are the one who found her?"

"Yes."

"Was it a hotel you two were familiar with?"

"No."

"Then how did you know where your wife was?" The detective's voice sounded suspicious.

"Eddie didn't do this to me. He doesn't have to drug me to have sex with him."

"Janet, we don't think Eddie did. These are just questions that we have to ask."

"I got a text message with Janet's location. I actually got two."

"From Matt?" Janet asked.

"I don't know. The number was blocked."

"May I see your phone?" Eddie handed over his phone.

"Why would he text you?" Janet wondered out loud and no one answered her.

"Eddie, can you tell me what happened before you got the text messages?"

"Janet and I were supposed to go to the party together but I got called to work so I dropped her off. I returned about two hours later but Janet wasn't there. I talked to the people that Janet worked with and found out who she was hanging with. The women at the booth told me that Janet had left an hour before I arrived with me. She told them that Sully had called me to pick her up because she was drunk but Sully never called and I didn't pick her up. The girls told me Janet had only drank one drink and was really drunk; can hardly walk drunk which is unlike my wife. Janet only gets really drunk when I am there with her because she knows I will take care of her."

"I called my friends and our dads and we spent a couple of hours driving around looking for her or Matt or Matt's truck but we couldn't find her. We were talking about our next move when I got the first message. Probably about five or ten minutes later, I got the second and I went to get her. She was exactly where the message said she would be."

"What was her condition?"

"Passed out naked on the bed. When I got her to finally come around she didn't know where she was or what had happened."

"Any blood or apparent injuries?" Eddie shook his head. "Thank you both for your help. We are going to do everything we can to find out what happened to you and who did this to you."

"It's the least you could do." Eddie snapped.

"Eddie." Janet warned but he just kept going.

"We went to you guys telling you that Matt was going to hurt her but you wouldn't do anything so now that she has been raped you are all anxious and willing to help. What a great comfort it is to know that you guys are here after she gets hurt and not before so this could be prevented."

"Mr. Latekka we understand that…"

"You don't understand crap. My wife was raped because of your understanding." He shouted. He glanced down at Janet on the bed next to him and saw tears rolling down her cheeks and instantly regretted his outburst. "I apologize. I'm just upset."

"We don't blame you Mr. Latekka." Detective Swanson told him and then he took Janet's hand.

"I'm so sorry baby." Janet nodded and squeezed his hand.

A few minutes later the doctor finally came in with a nurse to do Janet's exam. The first thing they did was photograph her body and Janet wanted to die of humiliation. She couldn't believe this was happening to her. After scraping underneath her fingernails the doctor performed the rape exam during which Janet lay back on the bed silently with tears running down her cheeks.

"Okay Janet you can sit up." The doctor instructed.

"Was I raped?" She whispered.

"When was the last time you engaged in intercourse?"

"Sunday." It was now Friday almost Saturday morning.

"Evidence of your exam shows that you had intercourse within the last twenty four hours and it was rough because there is fresh vaginal bruising." Janet began to cry.

"Are you sure?" Eddie asked.

"I am but it looks like you got a piece of him Janet. There were skin cells underneath your fingernails that hopefully can be matched to the man who did this to you once his DNA is obtained." The nurse handed Janet some pills.

"What's this?"

"Precaution. Emergency contraception."

"But you said that there were no fluids inside of me."

"Correct. He could have pulled out or used a condom. Most likely your attacker used a condom but they aren't one hundred percent effective if used correctly and we don't know if it was used correctly and the pullout method isn't safe at all so it's better safe than sorry.

"I can't take these."

"Janet why in the hell not?" Eddie snapped because the only thing he could think of was that if Janet didn't take those pills then she could be pregnant with Matt's child and he couldn't handle that.

"Eddie we are trying to have a baby." Tears fell from Janet's eyes. "What if I am pregnant now and I take those pills and kill our baby? I can't do that Eddie. I can't risk it."

"Are you pregnant?"

"I…I don't know but the point is I could be."

"Janet if you are pregnant then these pills won't affect it. These pills are designed to not let allow fertilization to occur. If fertilization has occurred the embryo will remain intake."

"Okay then." She looked at Eddie for confirmation and he nodded. She took the water the nurse handed her and swallowed the pills.

* * *

An hour later Eddie and Janet were finally on their way home. Tests had been drawn to check for drugs that she may have been given and STD's. A rape counselor had come in to talk with Janet but Janet sent her away stating that since she doesn't remember being raped then she doesn't need to talk to anyone about it. Eddie vehemently disagreed but Janet held her ground so he dropped it; for now.

"Do you need anything?" Eddie asked on their way home.

"No." She whispered. "I just want to go home and pretend this night never happened."

They both wanted to be able to pretend this horrible night never happened but they both knew that was never going to happen.


	43. Chapter 43

For the first time in their relationship, Eddie and Janet weren't quite sure what to say to the other or how to act around each other. Eddie didn't know if he should comfort Janet and Janet didn't know if she wanted to be comforted or touched by him. Janet wasn't sure if she should apologize to Eddie for allowing Matt to get to her while Eddie wasn't sure if he should apologize to Janet for not protecting her. They didn't know if they should talk about what happened or simply move on with their lives like nothing ever happened.

"I think that I…"

"Do you want…?" They both said at the same time.

"Go ahead." Eddie insisted.

"I'm going to get a shower." She told him.

"I'll get it started." Eddie announced and walked off to the bathroom before Janet could respond. Sighing softly, she knelt down and pet Jasper who was begging for attention at her feet.

"Hey there guy." Jasper licked her face. "Thanks. I needed that. Mommy has had a rough day." Janet sat on the floor and Jasper placed his head in her lap and that's how Eddie found her.

"Hey baby." Eddie said, sitting beside her. Jasper immediately moved his head to Eddie's lap and stretched his lower body out over Janet's lap. "Hey there dude." Eddie greeted Jasper, scratching behind his ears.

"I'm sorry." Janet whispered, laying her head on his shoulder. "I should have listened to you. I should have been more careful." Eddie laid his head on top of hers and linked his hand through his.

"No baby. This is not your fault at all." He told her, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles. "I should have protected you. I shouldn't have left you alone at Sully's. If I were there then you wouldn't have been…" His voice trailed off.

"Raped Eddie. I wouldn't have been raped but I was so where does that leave us?" Eddie was silent. He wasn't quite sure what Janet was asking so he didn't know quite how to answer. Was she referring to them as a couple, their marriage, their future child, their sex life; he wasn't sure.

"I guess it leaves us where we were before it happened. We will just put this behind us and move on."

"Yeah move on." Janet sat up and pulled her hand out of Eddie's. "I'm going to get my shower." She gently pushed Jasper off of her lap and stood and Eddie did the same.

"Do you…uhh…so you want me to come with?" She did want him to come with her but her fear that Eddie wouldn't be able to touch or look at her after what happened to her won out.

"I think that Jasper needs to go out." As soon as Jasper heard "out" he started barking.

"Yell if you need anything." Janet nodded and headed for the bathroom with tears streaming down her face while Eddie went outside with Jasper, tears of his own falling.

Once in the bathroom, Janet shut and locked the door behind her. After finding the scissors in the medicine cabinet she stripped out of her clothes, including her bra and underwear and one by one she cut them into little pieces. She loved this outfit. It was one of Eddie's favorites but she could never wear it again. These great clothes are now forever tainted. She would never be able to put them on again without remembering what had happened to her. She didn't want the reminder and she was sure that Eddie didn't want it either.

After the clothes were properly disposed of, she got into the shower that Eddie had started for her. The water was hot but not hot enough. She turned it up as hot as she could stand it. She had to get the "Matt" off of her body. She scrubbed and scrubbed until her skin was red and raw but she still felt him. She needed to feel her husband's hands on her. She needed his hands to be the last that touched her so intimately but she was sure that wasn't going to happen again. Eddie would only ask to join her in the shower when they were in playful or aroused moods not really wanting an answer. He would just do it whether she wanted him to or not but tonight, he asked if he could. She never officially said no but she implied it. She wanted him to make the decision and he did. When he didn't insist on coming in with her, like he always did Janet had her answer. He couldn't stand to see or touch her after what Matt did to her. Yet again, she had sex with another man during the course of her relationship with Eddie and yet again, she ruined their relationship. As that realization hit her, she slid to the floor of the tub, pulled her legs to up to her chest, buried her face in her knees and cried.

When Janet went to shower, Eddie grabbed himself two beers and went and sat outside on the deck while Jasper took care of business. He made himself comfortable at the patio table and drank the first beer in two large gulps. Since his heart still ached for what his wife went through and the pain and guilt he felt for not protecting her was still fresh he went to work on beer number two. At that moment, he hated himself. He was Janet's husband. It was his job to protect her and he failed. He knew Matt was going to hurt Janet. He knew deep down Matt was going to rape Janet and he did nothing to prevent. He should have gone and put Matt out of commission then Janet would have been safe; Janet would not have been raped. Her rape was all his fault and he would never be able to forgive himself.

It was killing him not to be in the shower with her. He wanted to shower with her but he didn't know if she wanted it so he asked her and his heart broke when she told him that Jasper needed to go outside. He considered going in after her but he didn't want to push her even though he couldn't stand the thought that Matt's hands were the last one to touch her. Maybe since she couldn't remember the rape she wasn't thinking like he was; maybe she wasn't thinking that Matt's hands were the last ones to touch places that he was the only one who had touched but he couldn't stop that thought process.

Eddie was grateful that Janet had no memory of the rape. He was glad that she wasn't going to have to live with that awful memory but there was a small part of him that wished she could tell him what happened because the real thing could not be any worse than the images running through his mind. He has so many questions; questions that he has every intention of asking Matt but until those questions are answered he had to deal with the images the worst of which was the image of Janet crying and calling out for him to save her; something he didn't do. He failed his wife and he was going to have to live with that failure for the rest of his life.

An hour and another beer later Eddie realized that Janet hadn't come out of the shower yet. Concerned, he called Jasper in, locked up the house and went to check on his wife. Walking into the bedroom, Janet's bedside lamp was on so Eddie was able to see Janet curled up under the blankets sound asleep. He went and gazed down at her and even in her sleep she was wearing the same heartbroken look that she has had since she realized what had happened to her. He wanted to take it away but he didn't know how.

He quickly stripped down to his boxers and climbed into his own side of the bed. He lay on his back and stared at the ceiling. He was physically aching to touch her; to comfort her but he didn't know if he should or even if she wanted comfort from him. He debated the problem silently for five minutes before he scooted over to her side of the bed. Rolling on his side, he wrapped an arm around her and pressed himself to her body; inhaling her freshly bathed scent. "I'm so sorry baby." He whispered, kissing her exposed shoulder. "I love you Janet. I love you so much."

"I love you too." Janet mumbled tearfully.

* * *

Janet was the first to wake around seven the next morning. Eddie was snoring softly beside her on the other side of the bed. They fell asleep with his arm around her but sometime during the night they broke their embrace and he ended up on the opposite side of the bed; away from her. Falling asleep wrapped in each other and waking up apart wasn't an uncommon occurrence in their bed, especially when one of them has something on their mind this morning, to Janet the simple act of pulling away during the night, solidified her thought that she ruined their relationship.

Fifteen minutes after slipping out of bed unnoticed by the other occupant Janet was on the deck, wrapped up in her robe and a blanket with a cup of coffee curled up in a chair. She needed the coffee. She hardly slept. She woke when Eddie wrapped his arm around her and then he fell asleep quickly but she remained awake; thinking. She couldn't understand why he was telling her that he was sorry. He didn't rape her. He did everything he could to keep her safe. This was not his fault. She is partly to blame because she should have known better. She worked in a bar for years for crying out loud and she should have replaced her drink when that guy showed up at her table and bumped it; that guy is partly to blame for slipping her the drugs but mostly Matt is to blame not Eddie.

Hearing him tell her that he loved her eased some of her anxiety; for a few minutes anyways. In the shower she had convinced herself that she had lost her husband but after he spoke those three simple words she instantly felt better about the state of their relationship but once he fell asleep without a kiss the doubt seeped back in. She fell into a listless sleep not knowing where she now stood in her husband's life.

What little sleep Janet did get was plagued with bad dreams. Dreams or images of the things Matt could have done to her. She has no idea what he did to her while she was under the influence and the unknown scared her but what scared her the most was what about in her inebriated state of mind; what if she actually enjoyed it. When she was in the emergency room the doctor explained the effect that the roofies had on her; her inhibition was lowered which explains why she went with Matt in the first place but he also explained that there is no way of knowing exactly how she reacted to the rape which means that she could of enjoyed it and that single thought made her physically sick to her stomach. There was skin under her fingernails which meant that she could have fought back and got a piece of him or it could mean that she scratched his back in pleasure. If that's the case she should file for divorce first thing Monday morning; Eddie deserved better but since she had no memory of the previous night she would never know and if she had a chance to confront Matt it's not like he would be honest with her so she was left with "what if" and that was making her miserable.

Jasper was lying underneath Janet's chair, enjoying the early morning sunshine, when he suddenly stood up and faced the door. Eddie was awake. Janet could hear him in the kitchen getting his morning cup of Joe. A minute later he was outside. "Morning." He greeted with a kiss on her cheek.

"Good Morning." He glanced down at her almost empty coffee cup in her hand.

"Refill?" She handed the cup to him.

"Please."

"Sure thing." Janet reached down and absentmindly pet Jasper until Eddie returned with her hot cup of coffee.

"Thank you."

"No problem." He sat next to her and reached over and clasped their hands together. "What time did you get up?"

"Around seven. What time is it now?"

"Eight thirty." Janet nodded. "How did you sleep?"

"Fine."

"Really? I seem to recall a bunch of tossing and turning."

"Opps."

"Nightmares?"

"Not really. I don't remember anything so I have no reasons for nightmares."

"Then why all the tossing and turning?" She shrugged. "Did you remember something?"

"No. I spent most of last night, trying to remember something; anything but I came up empty."

"Maybe it's better this way." Eddie suggested.

"Yeah…sure it is." Janet muttered.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Janet sighed and tried to get her jumbled thoughts in order.

"It means that I shouldn't have to be in the position that I have to try and remember my rape."

"Baby, I…"

"Are you hungry? Are you in the mood for pancakes?"

"Janet we should talk."

"No Eddie we should not talk. I don't want to talk about my rape. I want to forget it ever happened which should be easy since I can't remember." She wiped the tears that had fallen with the back of her hand. "Now I want to make pancakes. Would you like some pancakes?"

"Pancakes sound good." Eddie softly told her.

"Pancakes it is."

* * *

After their rather strained breakfast of pancakes and bacon, they went their own way and did their own thing. Janet stayed inside and cleaned; methodically cleaned every crevice that she could while Eddie went outside to work on the yard. Throughout the morning and early afternoon Janet's parents, Lillian, Eddie's parents, Max, Nick and Hannah came over to check on Janet.

The people inside the house were full of concern for Janet but never came out and asked her about the rape. They asked her if she was okay to which she replied that she was; they asked her if she needed anything and she told them no and the subject was changed. Outside the men had gathered and they were talking about the rape or actually, what wanted to do and what needed to be done to Matt for hurting his Janet. Not that he would ever act on any of the forms of punishment for Janet's sake but imagining and discussing the pain he could inflict to Matt was helping him deal. Eddie had been holding the rage he felt for Matt inside for the sake of Janet so it was nice to be able to let it out around people who actually agreed with him.

"Janet, honey the phone is for you." Everyone had left them about an hour ago. The house was clean and Janet was back out on the deck.

"Thank you." Janet said taking the phone from Eddie. "Hello?"

"Mrs. Latekka?"

"This is she."

"This is Dr. Ford from Knights Ridge General. I just received your test results and I wanted to personally call you. Everything came back normal."

"Thank you."

"How are you holding up dear?"

"I'm fine."

"That may be the case but I will recommend that you and your husband meet with the rape counselor. She can help you work through everything."

"There is nothing to work through but thank you and thank you for calling." Janet said goodbye and ended the call.

"Is everything okay?" Eddie asked. Due to the caller ID he knew it was the hospital calling.

"Yep. I officially have no STD's." Now that was a sentence that she thought she would never say to her husband.

"Thank God."

"If I…if the tests…" Janet wanted to ask him how he would feel about her if any of her tests would have come back positive but she couldn't get it out and she was saved by the ringing of the doorbell.

"Now what?" Eddie grumbled heading inside to answer the door. He was tired of having people over. Sighing he opened the door and came face to face with the detectives on Janet's case.

"Sorry to just drop by Mr. Latekka but we wanted to update you and your wife on our progress."

"Please come in. Janet is out on the deck."

"What is it boy?" Janet asked when Jasper began to bark. She turned and saw Eddie and the detectives. "It's okay Jasper." Janet stood. "Detective Swanson; Detective Carrey. What brings you here?"

"We just wanted to update you."

"Please have a seat." She motioned to the empty chairs. "Would you like something to drink?"

"No thanks." Detective Swanson handed her a box of flowers. "These are for you."

"Wow. Thank you but it wasn't necessary."

"Oh no. These aren't from us. They were on your porch and had your name on the card."

With a sick feeling in her stomach, Janet slowly lifted the lid and found roses wrapped in green tissue paper. Without reading the card, she knew they were from Matt. She threw the roses off of her lap and ran over to the trash can and threw up. The detectives looked confused so Eddie enlightened him.

"Matt. That bastard has been sending her roses." Eddie grabbed the card off the box. "Not only did he rape her, now he is tormenting her."

"Excuse me." Janet said as she walked past them into the house.

"May I have the card?" Detective Swanson asked, holding out her hand, giving Eddie no choice.

"Why?"

"If it is from Janet's rapist…"

"Matt Lausch." He interrupted them.

"Then maybe we can get some fingerprints and the less people that handle the card the better."

"Okay sure." He handed the card off and the detective opened it. "What does it say?" Detective Swanson held the card out for Eddie to see.

_Thanks for last night.  
I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.  
Can't wait to do it again_

Eddie read the card out loud, not realizing that Janet had returned until he heard her strangled sob. He rushed over to her, tried to pull her into his arms to comfort her but she pushed him away and walked towards the detectives.

"Is it signed?"

"No."

"Can you do anything about it? Can you bring him in for stalking me?"

"We don't have proof that Matt is the one who sent you the flowers." In a rare show of anger, Janet kicked the flowers across the deck.

"It's him dammit. I know it's him." She told them tearfully. "I just want him to leave me alone."

"I understand that Janet and we are doing everything that we can to see that can happen." Janet nodded. "From everything you and your husband told us, I believe that Matt was the one who raped you but we have no solid proof but we are working to get some proof."

"I understand." Janet mumbled, returning to her seat.

"Well I don't." Eddie snapped. "I don't understand why you just can't haul his ass in and interrogate him until he cracks like they do on T.V."

"This isn't T.V. Eddie. This is the real world and if that would happen and he didn't crack he could sue us for slander and we could lose everything. Do you want that to happen?" Janet glared at her husband and Eddie wisely kept his mouth shut.

"This is what has happened so far. We spoke with the women that were at your table who told us what happened that night which is identical to what you remember. They said that you got drunk before you finished your drink. You went to the bathroom and came back, telling them you were leaving; that Eddie was outside waiting on you. We also got a description of the gentleman who borrowed your ketchup and we are going to The Duf and see if we can find him but I wouldn't count on it."

"We spoke with the owner of the bar who told us that he never called your husband to pick you up. We also spoke with the bouncers who also confirmed that Matt was not at the bar or at least inside the bar."

"Why did I think that Eddie was there to pick me up?" Janet wondered out loud.

"We may never know Janet. What I think happened is Matt hired a couple of college kids; one to spike your drink and one to get you outside by telling you Eddie was there to pick you up."

"Why? Why would he do this to me?" No one could answer her question.

"We also spoke with the motel clerk."

"Did he give a description of Matt?" Janet asked hopefully.

"He gave a description of you Janet." Detective Carrey explained.

"What?"

"You were the one who went in and paid for the room and then once you unlocked the room, you returned the key, telling him that someone would be by later for it."

"Are you kidding me? Why would I do that? Why wouldn't I have run?"

"You were under the influence of Roofies. My guess is Matt was walked you down to the office and then escorted you back to the room. You had no control over your actions Janet.

"Have you talked to him yet?" Eddie asked the detectives.

"We called and set up an interview for Monday."

"Monday? Are you freaking kidding me?" He snapped.

"We have no physical evidence. We cannot force him to come in. We can only request an interview which we did which we were lucky enough that he agreed to."

"What about the skin you took from under her nails? Can't you match it to his DNA?"

"We don't have a DNA sample from Matt to compare it to."

"Get a damn sample so we can end this." Eddie shouted.

"It's not that simple. We can't demand one. We have no evidence against Matt so the only way we can get a DNA sample from him is if he volunteers one. According to the law, he has rights."

"What about Janet's rights?" He was livid right now. "He violated her rights when he….violated her. What are you doing about her rights?"

"Calm down Eddie. They are doing everything that can be done."

"If that was the case this never would have happened." He abruptly stood, knocking his chair down in the process. "This is such a load of crap!" He said, storming into the house.

"I apologize for him. He's just…" She was at a loss for words.

"We understand. He is angry over what happened to you and he should be. It shouldn't have happened."

"I won't disagree."

"Now Janet, if you don't mind, could you tell us again what you remember from last night. There may be something new that comes to mind."

"Sure." Eddie was standing in the doorway and couldn't bear to listen to what happened to his wife again so he grabbed a beer and found a game on the television.

An hour later, after the detectives left Eddie and Janet went to the grocery store for their weekly shopping trip. Normally, grocery shopping is boring but when the two of them went they always made it fun. This trip was unlike their previous shopping ventures. Eddie pushed the cart while Janet filled it. There really was no conversation. When she asked a question he answered it and occasionally he would make a suggestion. Things were changing between them and it terrified them both.

Once they arrived home they silently worked together to put the groceries away and then Janet made dinner. Janet felt so unconnected from Eddie she decided to make him one of his favorite dinners so she put together a meatloaf, homemade mashed potatoes, and his favorite vegetable, corn. She had always heard the way to a man's heart was through his stomach. She hoped it was true.

"This was good honey. I love your meatloaf." Eddie complimented when his plate was empty.

"Thank you. I know you love meatloaf." This was the most that had been spoken throughout the meal.

"Are you done?" Eddie had stood and walked over to her. Eddie had cleared his plate and Janet left half of hers full. "You hardly ate."

"I'm just not hungry I guess." She handed her plate to him and followed him into the kitchen where he loaded the dishwasher and she put away the food. When he went to the fridge for a beer Janet reached out to stop him.

"What? Do you want one?" Janet shut the door to the fridge.

"I want…I need to…Are we okay? Are you angry with me?"

"What? God no Janet. I am not made at you."

"We've hardly spoken. We've barely touched and you haven't kissed me today."

"You haven't kissed me." He countered.

"I…um…I didn't know if you wanted me to. I didn't know how you felt about me."

"I love you Janet. That hasn't changed and that will never change." Eddie told her tearfully as Janet's own eyes filled with tears.

"Show me Eddie." She held out her hand. Eddie linked his fingers through hers and led her back to their bedroom.

* * *

Janet was lying on her side, facing away from Eddie, fighting back tears as she stared at the wall in front of her when she felt the bed shift as he got out of bed. She quickly closed her eyes and pretended to sleep. She listened carefully as Eddie slipped on his boxers and walk to the door and after a few seconds of silence, maybe because he was watching her, she heard their bedroom door shut and at that moment the damn broke.

Eddie and Janet had just experienced another first in their relationship. They had just experienced, for the first time, bad sex. There was no sensual removing of each other's clothes; they walked in the bedroom and took their own clothes off and climbed into bed. They kissed each other but it was distant and mechanical, neither putting in the effort to make it meaningful or passionate.

Usually, when it came to his wife Eddie easily became aroused; a thought; a look; a simple touch; seeing her naked was all it took but tonight his arousal was not immediate. It took some work from both of them before Eddie got excited, something that has never happened to him before. When Eddie was finally able to perform it was if he was just going through the motions. Normally his mouth was on some part of her but this time it wasn't. He moved inside of her, weight on his elbows, staring straight ahead. He couldn't help but wonder if he was doing the same thing to Janet that Matt did.

As soon as Eddie entered Janet she felt her body tense. She wanted to be with Eddie but all she could think about was Matt and what Matt did or did not do to her. Her instinct was to push Eddie off of her, roll over and pretend they never attempted to make love but she couldn't do it to him so she closed her eyes and went through the motions until it was over leaving them both unsatisfied.

Now Eddie and Janet were in separate rooms wondering where their marriage stood; Eddie on the couch drinking beer with tears falling silently while Janet lay alone on their bed, curled up in a ball sobbing into her pillow so Eddie wouldn't hear her.


	44. Chapter 44

The next morning when Janet woke up she opened her eyes and saw Eddie sleeping soundly next to her. He was on his side of the bed on his side facing her. Normally when he sleeps he looks so peaceful but this morning he looked like he aged overnight. The peaceful look was gone only to be replaced sorrow. She had no idea when he came to bed. She never heard him come in nor did she feel him kiss her or wrap an arm around her like he always does. They may have slept in the same bed but they may have well of been in different rooms; they couldn't be any further apart than they were right now.

Janet was surprised when she glanced at the alarm clock and saw that it was almost ten. She hadn't slept that late in a long time. She realized how exhausted she had been both mentally and physically. Lying in bed, she thought about the events of the last two days. She couldn't believe how much her life had changed in a matter of days. Two days ago, she was happy; so very happy. She and Eddie were happy. She was looking good and looking forward to a night out with her husband and now all of that was gone and it was because of Matt. She couldn't let him get away with it. The detectives wanted evidence so Janet came up with a plan to get evidence. If she could get evidence then Matt will be punished, hopefully for a long time, and then they could put this behind them and maybe, just maybe they can salvage their marriage. Quietly, so she wouldn't wake Eddie, she slipped out of bed, a plan already forming in her mind.

* * *

Janet stood in the park, coffee in hand, looking for a place to sit. She wanted something that was away from plain view of everyone but at the same time she wanted something somewhat isolated. Since Matt had been stalking her, she expected him to approach her; especially considering she was without Eddie but she knew he wouldn't approach her if she was in view of a lot of people. She saw a bench that would be perfect and headed over.

Eddie was still sleeping when Janet left. She had showered and dried her hair in the bathroom that was connected to their bedroom and he never woke which surprised her but when she got to the kitchen she understood why he was still sleeping. Their recycle bin was full of empty beer bottles. He had probably drunk so much that he passed out. It was probably a good thing. She knew Eddie was going to be furious with her when he realized that she had left without him. She left him a note, telling him she needed some fresh air which would probably tick him off more but it had to be like this. She had to be alone.

Janet formed what she considered a very good plan to get a confession out of Matt. Knowing that Marr was the kind of guy who liked to brag and a man who liked to stick it to Eddie at every possible turn she knew he would be itching to tell her and recount what he did to her. She was counting on it. She had a fancy phone that had an amazing recording capacity and she was going to record his confession. She pulled out her phone and started to surf the net. When Matt showed up, she didn't want to be obvious when she hit the record button. It took about twenty minutes for Matt to show up, just as she knew he would.

"Well, well, well fancy running into you here Mrs. Latekka." Matt said. Janet closed out of the internet, hit record and slipped her phone into jacket pocket.

"What are you doing here Matt?" Janet saw that there was a scratch on his face and neck and right then she knew she wasn't a willing participant in her rape. She fought back.

"I was out taking a stroll and I happened to see you sitting here all by your lonesome. You looked like you needed some company."

"Did I need company on Friday night?"

"I wouldn't know what you are referring to." He sat down next to her and Janet scooted away. "Come on darling, don't back away from me. You like being near me."

"What makes you think that?"

"After what we have shared…I know how you feel about me."

"What did we share Matt because I have no memory of sharing anything with you."

"My feelings are hurt sweetheart. I can't believe that you have forgotten already." Janet glanced at him and saw he was smirking and she had to fight the urge to slap it off of his smug face.

"You drugged me Matt. You gave me a drug to make me forget and don't call me sweetheart. I am not your sweetheart."

"You liked it on Friday night." It was working. Since Matt's favorite topic was himself Janet was counting on Matt's narcissistic personality to lead him to confess and if that didn't work she could use his vendetta against Eddie to coax a confession out of him.

"I guess I will have to take your word for it since I CANNOT remember what you did to me."

"Oh Janet, what we did…we did well." Janet sighed in irritation.

"I am so tired of your games Matt." Janet snapped, losing her cool. That couldn't happen. If she got angry he would never tell her what she needed to hear. "Please Matt, just tell me what happened."

"I should probably go. It was really nice to see you again even though I prefer seeing you like I did on Friday night." She had to swallow back the bile that had risen in her throat. Matt reached out to touch her and she pulled away, repulsed. Matt shrugged and stood. "Goodbye Janet. I look forward to our next encounter." Janet had to think fast. Matt was leaving and she still hadn't obtained his confession.

"Well good. Now I can go home and tell Eddie that nothing happened." Matt froze and turned back to Janet.

"No you can't."

"It's been driving Eddie crazy thinking that someone else…you had sex with me." Janet saw a flicker of a smirk. "See when I went to the hospital, they checked me but they couldn't be sure that anything happened because Eddie and I have lots of sex. In fact we had sex before we went out so the tests at the hospital were inconclusive." She lied. The smirk on his face was gone and replaced by anger. "We know that I was drugged but that's all we know for sure. When you came over here I was hoping to find out what exactly happened but you won't tell me anything so obviously nothing happened so thanks Matt. Eddie will be very happy to know that he has been the only one to touch me." Janet began to walk away from Matt.

"We had sex Janet." Matt exclaimed. Janet turned back to him.

"I'm sorry but I just don't believe that. You have given me nothing to make me believe that. Thank you for setting me straight." Matt reached out and grabbed her arm and pulled her to him. "Let go of me."

"What do you want details?"

"Yes."

"Fine. I will give you details." Janet thought that she wanted details but as Matt launched into the details about what he did to her, she felt sick to her stomach and wished she didn't have any but she knew that she needed these details if she was ever going to put this behind her and get the justice she deserved.

"You raped me." She accused when he finished his smug tale.

"I did not."

"I was in no condition to consent and I would never ever consent to have sex with you. You knew that and that's why you drugged me."

"At first you didn't cooperate. I had to hold your arms and legs down but when it was over you were crying because you were so happy." Learning that he had to hold her down, explained the bruises that formed overnight on her forearms and inner thighs that she noticed in the shower this morning.

"Did I…" She had to take a deep breath to keep from crying. She refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry. "Did I cry for Eddie?" She managed to ask.

"You were crying so much, I couldn't take it so I shoved my shirt in your mouth." The image of herself gagged on a bed, made a couple of tears fall. Quickly she wiped her face with the back of her hand. She wasn't done with him yet. She got what she needed to send him to jail but there was one more thing she needed to know.

"Why Matt? You have never shown any interest in me. Why would you rape me?"

"How cute is that? Oh Janet, I have never been interested in you but that didn't stop me from having fun. I enjoy rough sex and you kitten like it rough so thanks for that. I haven't been laid in awhile."

"Then why?"

"I wanted to take from Eddie what he took from me."

"What are you talking about?"

"Five years ago, I was going to propose to Ellie Sullivan."

"You and Ellie Sullivan dated?" During her years as the bartender she kept pretty good tabs on who was dating who and she never knew that Matt dated Ellie Sullivan let alone, dated her seriously enough to propose.

"Don't look so surprised. Yeah we dated."

"Did she know that?" Matt glared at her. "I'm not trying to be mean. Ellie was at the bar all of the time, never with you and flirting with anything that had a penis and actually a few without."

"Shut your stupid mouth." He shouted and Janet quickly complied. "Ellie was in love with me." Matt continued. "I bought a ring and asked her to meet me at Sully's where I was going to propose. I had just got out of my truck when I saw them."

"Eddie and Ellie?" Janet dared whispered.

"Yes. I watched them go to his truck and I followed them back to her place. They went into together and he didn't leave until the sun was up and I know because I sat outside all night waiting and watching."

"Maybe they didn't sleep together."

"They did. I saw them through her bedroom window." Janet wondered how many times Matt had watched her and Eddie through her window.

"I'm sorry Matt. Maybe Eddie didn't know Ellie was dating you and obviously Ellie didn't tell Eddie."

"She told him. I know he told her. He played mind games with her and probably convinced her that sleeping with him was the right thing to do so I got even. He slept with the one woman I loved so I slept with the one woman he loved; an eye for an eye and now we are even."

"Even? You think you are even?" Now that Janet had everything she needed she could get mad. "You RAPED me. Do you understand that? What you and Ellie had was probably in your stupid mind. She probably didn't know that you even existed and even if she did then she slept with Eddie willingly. Eddie would never rape someone. You raped me. There is a big difference so you are not even." Before Janet realized what was happening Matt's hand landed across her face with a hard slap and immediately, she tasted blood. "Don't you ever raise your hand and hit me again. That is your one warning." She calmly told him.

"I said shut your mouth. Don't talk about her like that."

"Ellie is a tramp. She would sleep with anything that moved." Janet taunted. Matt raised his hand to slap her again but this time she was ready and moved out of the way. "You are one sick bastard Matt. To think what you did to me was acceptable because Eddie slept with "your girl" as payback is beyond comprehension."

"He deserved it. He deserves as much pain as I had." He shouted.

"What about me? What about what I deserve? Did I deserve to be raped by you?"

"You're nothing Janet. You don't matter. You were a means to an end. You were just a tool for my revenge."

"You are one insane dumb bastard."

"Don't talk to me like that." He yelled, reaching out and grabbing her arm, pulling him to his chest. Now, Janet let her self defense training kick in. She slammed her foot down on top of his. He yelped out in surprise and loosened his grip on her arm. She elbowed him in the ribs; spun around clenching her fist as she did and planted it on his nose as hard as she could. Matt cried out in pain and tried to grab her other arm. Before he could make contact, Janet lifted her knee and sent it into his groin; twice. Matt howled out in pain and agony and fell to the ground, cradling his family jewels.

"I hate you." She cried feeling angrier than she had ever felt before and she wanted Matt to know it. She lifted her foot to kick him.

"Janet…NO." She froze when she heard her dad's voice. Patrick ran over and took her hand, pulling her away from Matt.

"I want to hurt him."

"I think you did."

"Daddy…" Janet burst into tears. "He…he…raped me." She sobbed.

"I know Angel. I know." Patrick wrapped his arms around Janet. She clung to her father and sobbed. After a few minutes Janet pulled away from her dad.

"We need to call the cops." She sniffed pulling her cell phone out of her pocket and stopped the recording. "He confessed everything and I recorded it."

* * *

Eddie groaned and buried his head deeper under his pillow as the phone rang; again. He couldn't understand why Janet was not answering the phone. "Thank God." He mumbled when it stopped ringing. He had a hell of a hangover and just wanted to sleep it off.

"What in the hell?" He snapped as the phone began to ring again sixty seconds later. Realizing Janet was not going to answer the phone and whoever was on the other end of the phone was not going to give up he threw the blankets off of him, rolled over and grabbed the phone. "What?" He barked into the receiver.

"Latekka, you may want to get down to the police station." Patrick said.

"What? Why?"

"Because your wife is here."

"Is Janet okay?"

"Just get your ass down here." Janet's father ordered and promptly hung up the phone.

Now Eddie was worried. He had a sick feeling that Matt had gotten to Janet again and if that was the case he really would lose his mind. He jumped out of bed, threw on some clothes and rushed down to the police station.

"Patrick." Eddie called when he saw Janet's dad. "Where is she?"

"Down the hall in an interview room."

"Is she okay? Did Matt get to her again?"

"Let's just say that she got to Matt."

"What in the hell is going on?"

"Go and find out. She is in the first room on the left." Eddie took off and burst into the first room on the left.

"Excuse me but this is…" Detective Swan began.

"Janet are you okay? What happened?" Eddie asked.

"I'm fine."

"Thank God. I was so worried." He noticed her fat lip. "What happened? Did Matt do this?" He reached out to touch her lip but she pulled away from him.

"Mr. Latekka why don't you have a seat and we will explain everything." Watching Janet and wondering why she pulled away from him, he sat.

"What happened?" He repeated.

"Your wife decided to play cop and get a confession from Matt." Detective Carrey explained.

"Excuse me?"

"The only way to end this was to get a confession so I got a confession. I taped it on my phone."

"Are you kidding?"

"I knew he was stalking me so I went for a walk to the park and he showed up and I was able to get him to tell me what happened. It was no big deal."

"No big deal? Have you seen your fat lip?" Eddie snapped. "Did that bastard hit you?"

"He did but I hit him back."

"Where is he? Tell me he is locked up."

"Right now, Mr. Lausch is in the hospital being treated for bruised ribs and a broken nose."

"Well is he going to jail? Is what Janet taped enough to put him away?" Eddie asked anxiously.

"We were just getting ready to listen to the recording when you barged in here."

"Yeah. Sorry about that."

"No problem. I understand that you were anxious." Detective Swan said. "Let's have a listen, shall we?"

By the time the recording was done playing, Eddie was physically sick and he wished he never heard what he just listened to. He had so many thoughts about what had happened to Janet in his mind but now he knew exactly what had happened to her and he wished he didn't. He knew that Matt held her down. He knew Matt shoved his shirt in her mouth to keep her from crying. He knew that she cried. He knew that she cried for him. He knew that he didn't come and save her and now, thanks to Matt's own words he knew his wife, his precious wife's rape was his fault and he had no idea how to deal with that fact.

"Did I get everything you needed?" Janet asked.

"Yes you did. We will take this recording to the D.A. and charges will be brought against Matt.

"What charges will be filed?" Eddie asked.

"That's up to the D.A. but from my experience I can see kidnapping, drug and rape charges will be filed. I'm sure that whoever is assigned to your case will be in touch with you on Monday to go over the exact charges." Detective Carrey explained.

"So that's it? It's done?" Janet asked.

"For the most part, yes it's done and it probably wouldn't be if not for you thinking you were a cop." Detective Swan chastised.

"Sorry." She mumbled.

"You took a risk but honestly, I am glad that you did because ninety-five percent of the rapes with roofies involved never get solved because the victim has no memory and no idea who would rape them and it's hell for them so I am very happy that you got closure and we are able to bring a rapist to justice."

"That's why I did it." She whispered, hugging the detectives. "Thank you for all you did."

"It's our job." Detective Swan smiled softly at the woman in front of her. "Now as soon as we get a copy of the recording off of your phone, you can get out of here and try to enjoy your Sunday. " Janet handed her phone to the detective. "It should just be a few minutes." The detectives left the room, leaving Eddie and Janet alone.

"Sweetheart, do you…" Eddie began but Janet interrupted him.

"I'm fine and I don't want to talk right now."

"But…"

"Please Eddie. Not now. I need to see my dad."

"Really? You want to see your dad right now instead of talking to me?"

"Yes I do because he was here for me today when I needed him."

"I would have been had you told me about your asinine plan." Janet sighed in irritation.

"I am not arguing about this now and I am not arguing about this here."

"So does that mean that you will argue with me about it when we get home?"

"Yes it does."

"Fine."

"Fine." The two took another minute to glare at the other and then Janet left Eddie standing in the interview room alone.

* * *

The drive home was short but miserable. The only sound in the cab of Eddie's truck was the radio. They both were angry. Eddie was angry with himself, with Janet for risking herself this morning and of course, he was angry at Matt. Like Eddie, Janet was angry at Matt and the fact that he would be locked up didn't ease the anger; she was angry at Eddie and she was angry at herself for being angry at Eddie but she couldn't help the way she was feeling.

"Janet what in the hell were you thinking?" Eddie snapped as soon as they were in the privacy of their home.

"I knew that the cops would never be able to catch him." Janet threw her purse on the table. "Matt is too smart to get caught and I couldn't live with that. I needed closure. I needed to be the one who caught him."

"You have let the cops do their job. They would have broken him eventually."

"Eventually? Are you kidding me? There was no guarantee that Matt would have been caught and hell, for that to happen, he would have to slip up; make a mistake. You think I should have waited five or ten years for Matt to be brought to justice? No way. I couldn't live like that and neither could you."

"He could have…"

"He could have what Eddie? Rape me?" Janet shouted. "Wait, he already did that. What else could he possibly do to me?"

"He could have hurt you." Eddie mumbled.

"He already did and this time, I was the one who did the hurting."

"YOU should have told me what you were planning. I should have been with you."

"No you shouldn't have. If you were there Matt wouldn't have admitted to anything."

"I would have made him admit what he did to you."

"Yeah because that really would have worked." Janet said sarcastically.

"Your dad was there."

"Not because I called him. Every Sunday morning, he walks to the coffee shop to get coffee and Danish for him and mom and he just happened to be walking through the park at the right time."

"Right time for what?"

"To stop me from beating the living crap out of Matt."

"He deserved it."

"I won't argue that."

"It should have been me. I should have been the one to stop you."

"Guess what Eddie? This is not about you. It's about me. I was the one who was raped. Not you."

"I don't need you to keep telling me that. I know that you were raped."

"You should know since it was your fault." Janet never planned on saying those words out loud and didn't even realize that she was going to say them until they were out of her mouth. Logically, she knew Eddie wasn't to blame for her rape; that was on Matt but right now she wasn't thinking logically and she needed to blame someone. Like he had been hit, Eddie jerked back. No other words had ever cut deeper or hurt more and that was because they were true and Eddie would never be able to forgive himself. Because of his actions, his wife had been hurt. There is no forgiveness for that.

"I always knew my past would come back to bite me in the ass but never…"

"BITE YOU?" She screamed. "Bite you? Because YOU couldn't keep it in your pants and YOU slept with another guy's girl I got raped. I think I was the one who got bit. Not you."

"Baby, I'm so sorry." Eddie cried. "It never should have come down on you. It should have been me. Matt should have taken it out on me." The tears rolling down his face had no effect on Janet.

"He did take it out on you. He did it through me." Eddie reached out for his wife but she pulled away. "Please, don't touch me. I can't handle being touched right now."

"I won't touch you." Janet turned away from him and grabbed her purse. "You're leaving?" She nodded. "Where are you going?"

"I don't know. I just need to go. I need space."

"From me?"

"Yes." Eddie understood that. He couldn't stand himself right now so it was no wonder that she couldn't stand him as well. "Be careful." He requested.

"I will." The second the door closed behind Janet, Eddie crumpled to the floor and sobbed.

Janet got into her jeep and turned the car north. She drove with no destination in mind and two hours later found herself at the cemetery in Rhode Island where her grandparents were buried. More than anything, she wished her Grams were with her. Together she and Grams would be able to sort out the jumbled feelings and thoughts running amuck through her head but since Grams was no longer here, Janet did the only thing she could do. She sat on the ground in front of the cold stone that bore her Grandmother's name and broke down, hoping that maybe from somewhere beyond the grave, Grams would still be there for her.

_I know that this was rough. Please hang in there with me. I promise to make it better SOON _


	45. Chapter 45

"Janet, I am glad that you decided to come and see me."

"I need help."

"That's why I am here; to help you."

"I tried to deal with my rape alone but I can't do it by myself."

"You are not alone. I am here and I've met your husband. I got the impression that you have a support system."

"Not anymore." She sobbed. "Since I have been raped everything has gone downhill. I don't even know if I have a marriage anymore. My husband and I are barely speaking."

"Unfortunately, a couple pulling away from each other after a rape happens quite often."

"How often does a woman blame her husband for her rape? I blamed Eddie for my rape and now I think my marriage is over."

It took one week for Janet to decide that she needed professional help to work through her rape. She had barely eaten because she just wasn't hungry and when she did try to eat she could barely swallow due to the enormous lump in her throat. She had barely slept because of the nightmares that plagued her every time she closed her eyes and Eddie never comforted her. Most nights he fell asleep on the couch or in Max's bed. The few times he did sleep in bed with her, he never budged when she woke up crying.

During the day while at work, she managed to hold it together somewhat; in front of people she did her best to act normal but behind the closed door of her office, or home, she did nothing but cry and if she wasn't crying at home she was sitting in silence, staring at the television; not seeing what was playing and barely talking to Eddie who may have been in the same room or house but was very far away from her.

After one week of misery, Janet finally quit being stubborn and came to the conclusion that she needed help. She wanted to move past her rape and fix her marriage and she knew, as strong as she was, she couldn't do it on her own. She wanted Eddie to be the one to help her but he was in no position to help her. She needed a professional and now she was sitting in the office of the rape counselor she met at the emergency room.

"Please help me." Janet begged softly with tears rolling down her face.

* * *

Two hours later, Janet had left the counselor's office. She wasn't "cured" but she did feel that a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. It was the first time that she was able to talk about her rape without putting on a brave front. In front of Eddie, her family and friends she acted like she was fine but talking to the counselor she was finally able to admit how scared she was and how helpless she felt and it was a relief.

"I'm Janet Latekka here to see Joe Anderson."

"Go ahead and have a seat Mrs. Latekka and I will let Mr. Anderson know that you are here."

Janet's next stop after her meeting with the counselor was the office of the prosecutor assigned to her case. Last week when Matt was charged he pleaded not guilty which the lawyer told her was a normal maneuver. Luckily, the judge did not grant Matt bail because of his stalking tendencies so for the time being she was safe but worried that he would find a way to weasel himself right out of jail.

"Hey." Janet looked up in surprise at Eddie's voice. She told him about this meeting but wasn't sure he was actually listening to her.

"I wasn't sure if you would come."

"Why wouldn't I?" He leaned down and briefly brushed her lips with his own and she smelled the alcohol on his breath.

"I don't know. I just thought…"

"Mrs. Latekka, Mr. Anderson is ready for you. If you could just follow me please?" Janet stood and followed the secretary down the hall with Eddie trailing behind the two of them.

"Come on in." Mr. Anderson stood when Eddie and Janet were shown into his office. He reached across the desk and shook their heads. "Please, have a seat." He motioned to the seats in front of his desk. "Thanks for coming in today. How are you holding up Mrs. Latekka?"

"I'm holding." She answered sadly.

"I brought you in here today to discuss a deal I would like to strike with Matt Lausch."

"A deal? He doesn't deserve a deal." Eddie muttered and was ignored.

"What kind of deal?"

"I want to offer him twelve years without the possibility for parole for ten years for the rape and kidnapping in exchange for giving us the name of the person who supplied him with the Roofies."

"How long if he is found guilty?"

"Without a deal Mr. Lausch could get fifteen years"

"Then why not go to trial and get the fifteen years?" She asked.

"We can do that if that's what you want but there are risks involved with that."

"She wants that." Eddie threw in.

"Don't speak for me." Janet snapped. "What are the risks?"

"Well you would have to testify about what happened in a roomful of strangers and a defense attorney can and most likely will be ruthless with you; blaming you for the rape; claiming you wanted it to happen."

"I can handle it."

"The main risk is Mr. Lausch could be found not guilty."

"How can that be? I taped his confession. It was his DNA found under my fingernails. I clawed his face."

"You would be surprised how easily any of that information can be twisted."

"Twisted?"

"Since there were no witnesses' bedsides you it's going to be your word against his. He could say that the confession was a lie to give you closure. As for his face, he could say that you attacked him without provocation."

"But that's not what happened."

"I know that. You know that but a jury does not and when a case is decided by a jury all it takes is one person to have doubt and Mr. Lausch will walk and can never be retired for raping you."

"What makes you think that he will take this deal?"

"His lawyer told me to bring him any deals for his client."

"Offer him the deal."

"Janet no! That bastard doesn't deserve a deal."

"It's my decision Eddie." She told her husband with a glare. When he looked away, she turned her attention back to the prosecutor. "I want you to offer Matt the deal. I am ready for this to end."

"I will set up a meeting with Mr. Lausch's lawyer and let you know the result."

"Thank you. I appreciate you asking me first."

"You were the one that was victimized and I want to make sure justice is served for you and by accepting this deal we can get a drug dealer off of the street and save other women from what you had to go through."

"Then it's worth it."

"Thank you Mrs. Latekka, for everything." Janet signed some papers, she and Eddie walked silently to the elevator.

"Do you want to grab some dinner?" She asked once they stepped into the elevator.

"I'm not really in the mood to go out."

"I can pick something up."

"Sure. Whatever."

"Okay. Does anything sound appealing?"

"I don't have much of an appetite lately."

"I'll figure something out." They rode in silence until the elevator opened and they walked out to the parking lot. They came to Eddie's truck first.

"I have to stop at the store so I guess that I will see you at home." He turned to get into his truck.

"Eddie?"

"Yeah?" He asked, turning back around.

"Never mind. I will see you at home." She walked to her jeep with tears rolling down her cheeks.

* * *

Eddie got into his truck and watched Janet walk alone to her car. He knew she was crying and he knew he was the reason for those tears; for every tear she has shed over the past week. He wanted to reach out to her both emotionally and physically but he couldn't make himself do it because he was overcome with guilt. He may not have raped her but he was the reason that his precious wife was raped.

After making sure Janet got out of the parking lot safely, he started his truck and drove himself to the grocery store for beer and maybe some whiskey. Alcohol was the only thing that could state his guilt but it was only temporary so he had to drink more so he wasn't suffocated with the guilt. Under the influence, he could actually stomach to look and talk to his wife without hating himself. Without the alcohol every time he looked at her and saw the sadness on her beautiful face his heart broke over and over again because of the pain he caused her and that was just too much for him to handle.

Talking to Janet was another issue. What is a man who is responsible for his wife's rape supposed to say to her? He had no idea what to say to her. Her rape was so hard on her; he saw it every time he looked at her so he didn't want to talk to her about that and casual conversation just seemed wrong to him and it didn't help the situation that he was so angry with himself and he had a tendency to take it out on her and his anger was the last thing that she needed so avoiding talking seemed to be the best idea.

Hopeless. As far as Eddie was concerned this entire situation was hopeless. He loved Janet so much. He wanted to fall to his knees and beg her for forgiveness but how could she possibly forgive him when he couldn't forgive himself. Hopeless.

* * *

"I got pizza." Janet announced when Eddie walked in the kitchen.

"Okay." Eddie went straight to the fridge to put his beer away while Janet grabbed some paper plates and placed a couple of slices on each.

"I met with the rape counselor today." She told him, handing him a plate.

"That's good. Hopefully she can help you." He answered pulling a cold beer out. "Want one?"

"No thanks. You are drinking enough for the both of us."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means exactly what you think it means Eddie. You have been drinking an awful lot lately." Glaring at her, Eddie opened the beer and drank half of it in one gulp, never taking his brown eyes away from her blue eyes. As he pulled the can away from his lips he let out a huge disgusting burp.

"You are my wife Janet not my mother."

"And as your wife I am concerned."

"I am an adult. This is my life and if I want to drink then I damn well will drink. What and how much I drink is my decision not yours."

"And here we go. I was wondering how long it would take to bring up Matt's deal."

"Hey, I obviously have no say in decisions that concern only you. If you want to give the bastard that raped you a deal then that's on you babe."

"You seem to have forgotten. I was the one who was raped so yes, it was my choice to offer Matt that deal. Because of the deal that I agreed to Matt is definitely going to jail for a minimum of ten years something that could not be guaranteed without the deal and knowing that makes me very comfortable with MY decision."

"Hey it's YOUR decision. It's YOUR life Janet not mine just like it's MY decision to drink." He grabbed another beer, his plate and went into the living room to eat alone. Janet looked at her plate, picked it up and threw it in the trash. She suddenly lost her appetite. Grabbing a bottle of water, she went and sat out on the deck, wondering if she and Eddie would ever find the happiness that they once shared.

* * *

"Hello?"

"Hey kiddo." Janet pried her eyes open and looked at the clock. Through her sleepiness she realized that it was one thirty in the morning.

"Is he passed out again?" This is the sixth week in a row that Janet had gotten this early morning phone call from Sully. Eddie had drank so much that he passed out and she would end up going to the bar and picking him up and getting him safely home.

"Sorry sweetheart but yeah." Janet sighed.

"Leave him." At this point she has had it with him and was tired of going out in the middle of the night to make sure he got his drunk self home.

"If that's what you want." It wouldn't be the first time Sully had let one of his regular patrons sleep one off in the bar.

"Can you just grab his keys? In case he comes to in the next couple of hours I don't him driving home."

"Sure thing."

"Don't put them behind the bar. He knows that's where we put them."

"How about I drop them in your mailbox on my way home?"

"Sully that would be great. I really appreciate it."

"Is everything okay kiddo?"

"No Sully, it's not." Janet answered tearfully.

"Is there anything that I can do?"

"You are already doing it by looking out for my husband. Thank you." Sighing, Janet hung the phone up, rolled over and cried herself into a restless sleep.

During these last six weeks Eddie and Janet moved on with their lives. Janet moved forward and Eddie moved backwards. Janet continued to see the rape counselor and healed more with every visit while Eddie was drowning his sorrows in quite a few bottles. After multiple requests Eddie finally agreed to attend a session with her but it was pointless. He sat there sullenly looking at the wall and floor; everywhere except at Janet or the therapist. When asked a question he his response was a single grunt that resembled a yes or no so she never asked him to return.

Janet had no idea where she stood in her marriage; she didn't even know if she still had a marriage. She tried to talk to him but it, like the visit to the rape counselor was pointless. He barely spoke to her and when they did speak the two of them ended up arguing. Janet blamed the alcohol. Eddie was drinking so much. Every night he turned into a drunk with a foul attitude that she was growing tired of dealing with. She could hardly stand to be in the same house with him when he was a foul drunk which anymore was all of the time now which is making her question the state of her marriage.

A little after five in the morning Eddie had managed to find his way home. Jasper who had been Janet's sleeping companion lately growled and then bark alerting her that he was home. She heard him come into the house, slamming the front door as he did. He must have run into something because she heard "ow" followed by some colorful words. She saw the living room light go on followed by some more stumbling as he made his way to the bathroom where she heard him pee; not flush the toilet and make his way back to the living room. After a few minutes of silence Janet figured he passed out so she climbed out of bed and snuck into the living room and found her husband sprawled out on the couch snoring away. She turned off the light, grabbed the blanket off of the back of the couch, covered Eddie up and then she leaned over and brushed a kiss against his lips.

"I love you Eddie." She whispered before returning to their bedroom; alone.

"I love you too." Eddie whispered softly once Janet returned to their room.

When Janet left for work a few hours later Eddie was still passed out on the couch and never budged or ceased his snoring as she got ready. She needed to bake a cake to take into work the following day for one of the housekeeper's birthday; something she did for every employee on their birthday. She left a note for Eddie to go to the store and pick up some eggs. After she got home, she went straight to the kitchen to gather the ingredients she would need. When she opened the fridge to get the eggs she saw that there was none there and that pushed her over the edge. She stormed into the living room.

"I asked you to pick up eggs for me at the store today. Did you even move your ass off of the couch and go to the store?" She fumed.

"I went. I just forgot to get your eggs. I'm sorry."

"I asked you to do one thing; one damn thing and you can't."

"I said I am sorry. I will go out and buy your stupid eggs."

"You're drunk Eddie. You can't drive."

"I'm fine."

"You are far from fine."

"Look it was an honest mistake."

"You forgot my eggs, the one thing I asked from you but I see that you didn't forget the whiskey." There was a brand new bottle of whiskey sitting on the coffee table. He just looked at her and shrugged his shoulders. When Janet saw his nonchalant attitude she became infuriated.

"This has got to stop." She grabbed the bottle of whiskey off of the table and stormed into the kitchen.

"What the…what the hell are you doing?" Eddie got up and followed her.

"Ending this." She unscrewed the lid and began to dump the whiskey down the kitchen sink.

"Do you have any idea how expensive that is?" He reached into the sink in an attempt to stop her but she jerked away from him. "Dammit Janet."The two of them wrestled with the bottle for a few seconds until it slipped out of Janet's hand and broke in the sink. "Great! Look what you did." Eddie snapped.

"Yeah. Look at what I did." She held up her hand that was bleeding.

"It's your own fault. You shouldn't have dumped the good whiskey down the sink." Shaking her head, she turned away from him and ran her hand under the water for a few minutes.

"You've changed. A few weeks ago you would have been worried about my hand and not your damn whiskey." She turned the water off, grabbed a dish towel and wrapped her hand up. She had a feeling that she would be requiring stitches. "Now you are just a mean miserable drunk."

"What do you want me to say?" He asked returning to the fridge to grab yet another beer.

"Maybe you can start by telling me why you are so angry with me?"

"I'm not angry at you." He answered opening and gulping half the beer in his hand.

"You could have fooled me. Over the past six weeks I have been working really hard at getting my feet back on the ground and I have been doing well but you are getting worse with every passing day. The last time I saw you sober was the day of my rape."

"I am not angry with you." He repeated.

"But you are angry."

"I am angry. I am very angry."

"Since you won't talk to me maybe you should talk to someone." She suggested softly.

"I don't want to talk about it!" He shouted so loud, Janet jumped.

"So you're just going to drink your anger away?"

"That's the plan."

"Well it's not working for either of us."

"It's working just fine for me."

"That's crap and you know it." Janet began to cry. "We are both miserable. You are avoiding me. I feel like you don't even want to be in the same room with me. You haven't told me you loved me for weeks; you haven't made any attempt to kiss me and you won't touch me or hold me."

"I can't Janet."

"Is it because I was raped?"

"No and yes. I can't explain it."

"Do you even still love me?"

"I do." He answered without hesitation.

"That surprises me."

"I have never stopped loving you."

"I love you Eddie." She reached out for him but he pulled away.

"Please…don't. I don't deserve your touch."

"I know…I know I blamed you and I shouldn't have. It wasn't your fault. I'm so sorry."

"Don't be. It's the truth." Janet cried harder. She wanted Eddie to pull her in his arms and hold her but she knew that was not going to happen. She believed that they were past the point of fixing their relationship.

"I can't live like this Eddie."

"I know." Surprising her, he grabbed another beer and walked out of the kitchen. "Do what you need to do."

The instant Eddie walked away from her and basically their marriage Janet came to a decision. He may be ready to walk away from what they had but she was nowhere near ready. She wasn't going to take her marriage falling apart lying down. She was going to fight. She was going to fight for their happiness together; her happiness and the happiness of the man she loved. She was going to fight with everything she had. She and Eddie fought a long, hard battle to get to where they were seven weeks ago and she wasn't ready to let that go but first, considering she had bled through the dishtowel, she needed to go get some stitches.

* * *

Five days later, Friday evening after work, Eddie stopped by the store to purchase another case of beer and another bottle of whiskey. He wanted to go to Sully's so he wouldn't have to look at Janet's heartbroken face; it was easier that way but Sully stopped serving him which Eddie suspected Janet had something to do with that so his only choice was to go home. Things were so uncomfortable between them, which was his doing, that he hated being home

Eddie walked into the kitchen through the garage; loaded up the fridge with the alcohol, grabbed his last cold one, a bag of chips and headed to his spot on the couch but was surprised to find Owen, Ikey, Nick, Hannah, his parents, Max, Janet and a stranger sitting in his living room.

"It's not my birthday. What's the reason for the party?" He asked after slurping his beer.

"Eddie, everyone in this room is here because they love you and are concerned about how your drinking is affecting your life and relationships." The stranger spoke.

"You have got to be kidding me!" He began to laugh. "Really Janet? An intervention?"


	46. Chapter 46

"_Eddie." Nick yelled pounding on the front door. "Yo! Eddie, are you in there?" Eddie grunted and put the pillow over his face. It was too early to deal with Nick. "Eddie, I know you are in there. Your truck is parked really badly in the driveway. Open up the damn door." Eddie grunted, threw the pillow across the room and rolled off the couch. _

"_Ow. Dammit." He pulled himself off the floor and stumbled to the door. "I'm coming. Chill out." Eddie yelled, swinging open the door. "What in the hell is your problem?" He growled._

"_You're alive." Nick stated, pushing his way into the house. _

"_What are you doing here so early?" _

"_Do you have any idea what time it is?" _

"_Early?" _

"_Eddie, it's ten o'clock." _

"_Seriously?" Eddie rubbed his eyes and finally found a clock. "Wow. Guess I overslept." _

"_I guess you did." _

"_Sorry." _

"_What in the hell is going on with you Eddie?" _

"_Nothing is going on. Since when is it a crime to oversleep? And can you keep it down please? I have a headache."_

"_Of course you have a headache. You are hung over." _

"_So what? I had a couple of drinks last night?" _

"_You drank so much that you have a hangover on a Monday morning?" _

"_What does the day of the week have to do with anything?" Nick shook his head. _

"_You stink. Go shower. We have a meeting in an hour." _

"_We do?" _

"_Yes Eddie we do. The Mission Flats school district ring a bell? The HUGE account that we have been trying for, for months?" _

"_That's today?"_

"_Yeah brain trust it's today. It's been on the calendar for weeks. Now get in the shower before we are late and blow the account." _

"_All right. All right. Relax. I'll be ready in a few." Nick watched as Eddie stumbled to his bedroom. When he heard the shower start, he called The Johnson Inn and asked to be connected to Janet. _

"_This is Janet. How can I help you?" _

"_Janet it's Nick."_

"_Did you get a hold of him?" _

"_He was home, passed out on the couch." _

"_I'm sorry. I woke him before I left but he must of fell back asleep." _

"_He reeks of booze Janet." _

"_I know. I think he is drinking his body weight in alcohol."_

"_I'll talk to him." _

"_Good luck with that. He's not very talkative lately." _

"_If you need anything let me know." _

"_Thank Nick. I will." _

_The next morning, Janet didn't have to be to work until noon but she got up early to make sure that Eddie got up for work. Once he was up and moving around, she went back to bed because she hadn't been sleeping well but it as it turned out, she couldn't fall back asleep so she got back up, slipped on her robe and headed out to the kitchen for coffee. Eddie was in the kitchen at the coffee pot and he didn't know she was there so she just stood there and watched him. For a second everything seemed normal, like it was before her rape but then she saw him pour whiskey into his travel coffee mug and then he poured the coffee in with it. Silently, she turned around and returned to their room knowing something had to be done about his drinking. He was going to hurt himself or someone else and she loved him too much to allow that to happen. Three days later, she staged an intervention._

* * *

"It's not my birthday. What's the reason for the party?" He asked after slurping his beer.

"Eddie, everyone in this room is here because they love you and are concerned about how your drinking is affecting your life and relationships." The stranger spoke.

"You have got to be kidding me!" He began to laugh. "Really Janet? An intervention?"

"Eddie my name is Mark and I specialize in interventions."

"Goody for you but I'm not interested."

"Why don't you have a seat and listen to what your love ones have to say?"

"Thanks but no. I'm out of here." Eddie turned away and Mitch was on his feet.

"Eddie sit down and just listen." Mitch told his son.

"No dad. I'm not going to sit down. I am not a child. Quit treating me like I am."

"Eddie, please. Just listen to what we have to say." Janet begged. She was hoping that if Eddie heard how his drinking was affecting everyone else he would want to stop.

"I don't really care what anyone in this room has to say." Eddie sighed and glared at his wife. "Geez Janet, I can't believe that you did this. I can't believe you opened your mouth and told our friends and family our problems or the problems that you think that I have. It's no one's damn business."

"I didn't tell anyone. Your drinking is obvious to everyone except you." Mark, the intervention therapist stepped in before their argument escalated.

"Eddie, how about you and I head out to the deck and chat for a few minutes?" Mark suggested.

"No. I don't want to go outside on the deck. I went all of these people to get the hell out of my house so I can sit in my recliner and have a freaking beer."

"That's understandable and I don't blame you. I love coming home from work and relaxing in my chair. Since you are angry, why don't you and I go out onto the deck while everyone leaves. Your wife told me that you did all of the landscaping. I am an amateur landscaper myself so I would love to see what you have done with your own yard." Eddie knew it was a ploy to get him alone. He was so furious with everyone in the room at the moment he decided that it would be best if he got away from them so he decided to play along.

"Sure come on." He then glared at the room. "When I return I want you all out of my house." He then turned and walked out the living room with Mark trailing behind him.

"Wow. This is fantastic." Mark commented when they got out on the deck.

"Thanks." Eddie opened a beer and handed it to Mark. "Wanna beer?"

"No thank you." Eddie shrugged.

"Your loss." He took a large swig.

"What flowers are under the tree in the back right?"

Through the alcohol Eddie couldn't tell if he was just placating him or if he truly was interested. Not really caring one way or another, Eddie launched into the names of the flowers he planted, the type of mulch he used. Mark asked him questions and Eddie answered them with practiced ease. He was in his element talking about a hobby he loved.

"This is pretty impressive Eddie."

"I used to own my own landscaping business until a friend of my wife's rapist destroyed it." He explained bitterly. "Doing what you do, going to stranger's houses' and encouraging their family and friends to tell their loved one that they are a drunk who is ruining their lives; you probably don't have many people trying to destroy your business."

"You'd be surprised."

"Really?"

"Hey, I encourage a drunk's loved ones to tell them how he or she is ruining their lives so I would think that I have a few people that want to destroy me."

"I can picture that because I am not too happy with you myself right now."

"I do what I do to help people find a happiness that they had lost in a bottle."

"I happy, I'm freaking peachy."

"Yeah I can tell." Eddie responded by opening the second can of beer he brought outside with him and taking a drink. "Are you happier when you are drinking?"

"Nope. I don't think that I can ever be happy again." Eddie mumbled.

"So why are you drinking?" Eddie took a few minutes before he responded.

"So I can't feel."

"Feel what?"

"Anything. Everything. I can't handle what I'm feeling."

"What are you feeling?"

"Guilt"

"And when you drink you don't feel guilty?"

"I still do but it doesn't consume me. When I am drunk, I can actually look my wife in the face and not want to kill myself. When I'm sober, I can't look into her heartbroken face, knowing that I am the casue of it."

"That's no way to live."

"Tell me about it. I can't live like this."

"You're not contemplating suicide are you?"

"No way. Why would you say that?"

"In less than five minutes you mentioned dying twice."

"Just figures of speech but what I am thinking about doing may just kill me."

"What's that?"

"I need to leave Janet."

"Are you sure about that?"

'Yeah. I need to divorce her."

"Why?"

"Because…it's my fault and I…I can't be with her knowing that and honestly, she is probably ready to leave me."

"I don't think so. If she was she wouldn't have called me."

"She just wants to make sure I will be okay alone."

"Will you be okay alone?"

"Probably not."

"Then why are you talking about leaving her?"

"Because it's the only solution that I can see."

"It's a big decision; one that should be made while you are sober don't you think?"

"Sober or drunk, I need to do what needs to be done."

"Eddie, not only am I an intervention specialist but I am a psychiatrist and I specialize in helping people with substance abuse issues and in my professional opinion, you are not a classic alcoholic."

"Tell that one to my wife and loved ones."

"Do I think you have a serious alcohol problem? I do. From what I have observed and been told I have concluded that you are using alcohol as an anesthetic."

"Huh?"

"You are using the alcohol to numb yourself from feeling guilty."

"It's the only thing that works."

"You are unhappy and ready to make a huge life changing decision and not only will it change your life but it will change your wife's life."

"That about covers it."

"I think a decision that big should be made sober don't you?" Eddie shrugged. "You are convinced that you are responsible for your wife's rape and…"

"I AM." Eddie practically shouted.

"Did you make a plan with her rapist for her to be raped? Did you hand Janet over to be raped? Did you hold her down while she was raped?"

"NO!"

"Then why do you feel guilty? Why are you carrying the burden of Janet's rape?

"I…I…just am."

"Eddie you did not rape your wife. You have no reason to feel guilty. You are not responsible but you have convinced yourself that you are. I think that I can help you work through your feelings of guilt and you can move forward with your life."

"I am guilty. It is my fault. Matt never would have raped Janet if it wasn't for me."

"No. I don't believe that. Janet's rape would have happened regardless."

"But he said…"

"Who cares what he said. I think Matt just needed a reason to justify his rape and that reason was you." Eddie was silent, taking in what Mark had said. "Eddie I can help you but I can't do that if you are drinking. Do you understand what I am saying?"

"Yeah. You can't help a drunk."

"Do want my help? Do you want to deal with your guilt?" Eddie looked into the house and saw Janet in the living room, straightening up the invisible mess that didn't exist. She always "cleans" when she is upset and right now, she was beyond upset with their situation and him.

"I'm always hurting her."

"Then stop. Do you want to stop hurting her?"

"I don't want to hurt her." He admitted with tears shining his eyes. "I want to stop feeling like this."

"The first step is to get sober. Are you willing to do that?"

"I don't know if I can."

"If you want it, then you can do it. It's not going to be easy but with professional help, it can be done. You just have to want it. Do you want it Eddie?" Eddie looked back into the house and this time he saw her standing in front of the fireplace holding their wedding picture with tears falling from her eyes. She was so hurt and he hated that. He wanted to stop hurting her. She deserved better than he was at this point and he owed it to her to make a decision that affects both of their lives so drastically sober.

"Yeah."

"What I am going to recommend that you admit yourself into a rehab facility for seventy two hours so you can dry out and have professionals there to help you get through it."

"I take it you know of a rehab place I can go?"

"I do."

"Why is it that I told you things that I haven't even been able to tell Janet?"

"Because we have no relationship. Whatever you say doesn't affect our relationship because we don't have one."

"I wish I could talk to Janet but I just can't."

"Well hopefully, one day soon you will be able to talk to her again."

"So when should I do this rehab thing?"

"I could take you tonight."

"Well then I guess I better not let this baby go to waste." Eddie held up his beer can; toasted the air and emptied the can with one large drink. "Ahhhh."

"Why don't you go in and pack?" Eddie stood slowly.

"I guess I should tell Janet."

"I will be there to answer any questions she may have. " With a nod, Eddie walked back into the house.

"Eddie I…"

"I'm going away to get sober." He told her and then walked to their bedroom before she could question him.

"What is going on?" She asked Mark, confused yet grateful that Eddie was getting the help he needed.

"Your husband has decided that he is ready to get sober. He is going to come to the rehab center for seventy two hour detox."

"Will he come home after the seventy two hours?"

"Yes."

"And then what happens when he is sober?"

"That's up to Eddie. I am going to recommend therapy. He is going to need to learn tools to help he stay sober and he needs to deal with what caused led to his drinking. If he doesn't do that, then he will simply return to drinking."

"My rape." She mumbled.

"Excuse me?"

"He was always a social drinker; we both are. This non-stop drinking started after my rape. It's my fault." She wiped away her tears. "Will I be able to see him?"

"No, while he is drying out he cannot have any visitors. Tomorrow I need you to come in with your insurance information but you won't be able to see him."

"I'm ready." Eddie announced.

"Would you two like to say goodbye?" Mark asked.

"Bye Janet." He walked over and kissed her cheek. When he started to walk away, Janet reached out and took his hand.

"I am really proud of you for making this decision." He just shrugged. "Whatever you need, I will make sure you get it."

"I don't need anything." He answered, pulling his hand out of hers.

"It doesn't have to be material. Even if it's just support, you have it."

"Thanks. I'll see you in a few days." He looked at Mark. "Can we get out of here?"

"Eddie wait." She wrapped her arms around his neck. "Get sober and come home to me so we can fix us." He pulled her arms off of his neck and stepped back.

"What's broken in me and in us; I don't think it can be fixed."

"I won't give up on you or us. I love you."

"Let's go." He said to Mark as he walked to the door.

"Eddie." Janet cried when he got to the door and he knew what she wanted.

"I love you." He told her softly and then walked out the door.

As soon as the door shut Janet fell to the couch with gut-wrenching sobs. Their living room windows were open and when Eddie was out on the deck with Mark, she heard him say that he wanted a divorce and his words before he left confirmed it. He said he and they were unfixable. Is this the end of their marriage? The thought was too much for Janet. She couldn't lose him; she just couldn't.

* * *

The next three days were horrible for the couple. Janet was so upset she barely moved off of the couch. Friends and family called to check on her but she couldn't handle talking with them so she sent out a group text message stating that she was fine but not in the mood to talk and she just wanted to be left alone and they all understood and gave her the desired space. She couldn't stop crying or thinking about her impending divorce and she was worried about Eddie. While doing her research about the intervention, she had read that the alcoholics can have some pretty nasty withdraw symptoms so her worry about that added to everything else. By the time Monday rolled around, she felt slightly better and she was able to function at work because she knew Eddie would be coming home. He would be sober again and they would begin to work things out between the two of them or so she hoped.

Eddie's three days of detox were not pleasant. He had an array of unpleasant symptoms as he body got used to being without the large amounts of alcohol he had consumed daily; headaches, sweating, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, insomnia, shaky, nervous, depression, and anger but when he finally was detoxed and showered he felt like a new man with a clear mind and guilty conscious.

"How are you doing?" Mark asked his patient.

"Wishing I was drunk."

"Why?"

"Because it's my fault that Janet is raped and now that I am sober, it's all I can think about. If it wasn't for me, she never would have been hurt."

"Do you still want a divorce?" Eddie sighed and rubbed his temples.

"I don't know. I can't continue to live with this guilt and her. Every time I see her or even think about what happened to her, I hate myself. What kind of marriage is that? I don't think that we even have a marriage anymore."

"You two are still in love with each other and that love was evident to me on Friday before I brought you here. Love is the main ingredient for a successful marriage. As long as you still love each other, you can make the marriage work. Do you love your wife Eddie?"

"I do. I always will."

"Then let's work with that. The other issues, mainly your guilt, we can work through that. I just need you to give it a chance to work before you make a decision that you are going to regret. Are you willing to give it a shot?"

"Okay."

"Now, first thing we need to do is set up a plan for you once you go home to help you cope with your desire to drink. Let's get started."

* * *

"Hello?" Janet had her cell phone sitting beside her at her desk, waiting for a call from the rehab center. Mark had told her he would call her and let her know what time she could pick Eddie up.

"Hey." Janet sat up straighter when she Eddie's voice. It sounded clear and normal and sober; just like before.

"Hi. How are you?"

"Better."

"You sound it."

"You did the right thing Janet. I needed to get sober." He admitted.

"Now that you are sober, when you get home today we can sit down and talk everything out."

"That's why I called. Janet I am not coming home." While talking with Mark about coping with his desire to drink and ways to stay sober, he came to the conclusion that if he was home with Janet he would start drinking again because whenever he looked at her or thought about what she went through because of him, the guilt would surface and when that happened he would want to drink and would most likely drink. The only solution that he could come up with was not to go home and be around her until he had a handle on staying sober.

"What?"

"Not for awhile at least."

"Are you staying at the rehab center? I'm not sure if our insurance will cover you for more than three days."

"I'm leaving rehab but I'm just not coming home." Janet was silent. Was he really leaving her?

"Ever?" She finally managed to whisper.

"I'm going to stay at my parents for the time being." He avoided her one word question.

"I didn't ask you where you were staying. I asked if you were ever planning on coming home. Eddie, are you leaving me?"

"Look Janet, you started all of this by calling Mark and setting up an intervention. You wanted me to get sober. Well I am sober and I have to stay that way and I can't do that if I come home right now. I need some time Janet; time to work some stuff out in my head. Can you give me that? Can you give me time?" He was right. She put this all in motion and he had done what she had wanted; he had gotten sober. If he needed time away from her to continue to stay sober and work things out she could support him and give it to him especially if it meant that things could be fixed between them.

"I will give you whatever you need. Just know that I'm not going anywhere."

"I know that. I've always known that."

"Will we be able to talk?"

"I'll call you every day."

"I'm so sorry Eddie; for everything."

"No matter what happens or has happened, I love you Janet. Please, know that. I do love you." Janet sniffed as the tears fell.

"I love you."

**_Special Thanks to HUDS for her advice and wisdom for this chapter. Thank you! _**


	47. Chapter 47

"I packed up everything I could think that he will need. I'm not sure how long he will be with you so I don't know if I packed enough. If he needs more or if I forgot something…" Judee reached out, grabbed and squeezed Janet's hand.

"I'll take good care him." Judee whispered to her daughter in law.

"I know you will." Janet whispered tearfully. "It's just…I understand why he isn't coming home. I just wish he was so we can fix…us."

"Before you two as a couple can be fixed you each have to be individually fixed. You have been getting the help you need to deal with your rape and get fixed and now Eddie is getting fixed. You have a few weeks of getting help and now its Eddie's turn and once you each have worked through your demons then you can work on your marriage."

"I know he is doing what he needs to do to stay sober."

"Give him some time Janet and when he is strong enough he will come home to you."

"I don't know if that's true. I'm afraid that our marriage is over." Janet sat on the couch and Judee sat next to her.

"Don't give up on him or your marriage. You two love each other and you have something wonderful that's worth fighting for."

"I won't." Judee hugged Janet.

"That's my girl." At that moment, Mitch and Max walked in.

"Janet, are coming with us to pick Eddie up?" Max asked.

"No I'm not."

"Why not?"

"Because I have some stuff to do."

"What kind of stuff?"

"None of your business."Mitch told his son.

"But won't Eddie…"

"Zip it Max. Now."

"Yes sir." Janet stood and went to get Eddie's truck keys.

"Here you go." She handed Mitch the keys.

"Hang in there sweetheart." He whispered as he hugged her.

"I'm trying."

"We love you." Judee added.

"I know. I love you guys too." Mitch, Judee and Max hugged Janet once more and then left to go pick Eddie up.

"Well guy, it looks like it's just you and me." Janet said to Jasper who barked in response. "How does some cheese puffs and trash TV. sound?" Another bark. "Okay then." Jasper followed his master to the kitchen and then back to the living room. When she sat down, he climbed up right beside and settled in. He looked to the other side of Janet and then back at her with a bark. "I know buddy. I miss him too."

* * *

"Is something wrong with your dinner Eddie?" Judee asked. She had made steak and baked potatoes, a favorite of his and he had hardly touched his food.

"No mom, everything is fine." He took a bite of his potato.

"You've hardly ate your dinner." She pointed out.

"Sorry mom. I'm just not hungry."

"You need to eat sweetheart."

"I know." He forced himself to clear his plate and the rest of the meal was finished in relative silence. Even Max, who was usually oblivious to any discomfort seemed to sense that his brother wasn't in the mood to talk and was abnormally quiet.

After dinner Max talked his big brother into joining him in the living room for some quality Wii time but it wasn't the same as it was before. Eddie hadn't been around much lately since Janet's rape and Max missed him. No one had came out and told him exactly what was happening with his beloved sister and brother so he didn't understand what was going on. All he could see that Eddie and Janet had both changed and he missed the old Eddie and Janet.

"I need to take a leak." Eddie announced.

"Must you be so crude?" Judee asked.

"Really mom? That is not crude. I'll be back."

On the way back from the bathroom, Eddie glanced at the pictures that hung in the hallway. One in particular caught his attention and he stopped to examine it. It was a picture of him and Janet taken during their at home wedding reception. He was standing behind Janet with his arms wrapped around her waist. They were both grinning into the camera. They were so happy. It was so hard to believe that it was only eight months ago. So much had changed since then. As Eddie stared at the picture he felt the overwhelming yet common feeling of guilt he had been carrying around since the rape fill his heart and brain and he couldn't stand it. He really wanted a drink. It was the only thing that took the guilt away. Knowing his parents usually had beer in the fridge he headed for the kitchen.

"Can I help you find something?" Mitch asked walking into the kitchen and finding his son staring into the refrigerator.

"I really, really want a drink right now but I know that I shouldn't."

"Do you have someone you can call?"

"Yeah."

"Maybe you should make the call."

"Maybe I should." Eddie shut the fridge door and pulled his phone out of his pocket.

"I'll give you some privacy." Mitch stepped out of the kitchen and Eddie dialed the number he was given.

Fifteen minutes later when Eddie had not returned to the living room and the video game Max went in search of his brother. Mitch and Judee were in the den whispering to themselves so they were unable to stop him.

"Eddie, what are you doing?" Max asked when he found his brother. Eddie just waved him off as he continued to talk on the phone. "Eddie, I'm waiting to finish the game." When Eddie ignored him Max sighed loudly. "Who are you talking to? Are you talking to Janet? Tell Janet that I said hi. Is she coming over to visit?"

"Max! Can't you see that I am on the phone?" Eddie snapped.

"How much longer will you be? We need to finish our game."

"I'm not in the mood to play a stupid video game. Just leave me alone." Eddie saw Max's eyes fill with tears and before he could apologize Max was running away. "Great. I just made my brother cry." He mumbled into the phone.

It took another twenty minutes before Eddie felt strong enough to be able to avoid the beer in the fridge. He ended the call, walked past the offending fridge and into the living room with his tail between his legs.

"I'm sorry sweetheart. I forgot about the beer we had in the fridge." Judee apologized. "I'll get rid of it know."

"No don't. I have to learn to deal with temptation."

"Are you sure?" Eddie nodded.

"Where's Max?"

"Upstairs in his room." Mitch answered.

"I have an apology to make to him and then I think I'm going to bed. It's been a long day."

"You know where everything is but if you need anything, let me know."

"I will." He walked over and kissed his mother. "Thanks for everything. Goodnight."

"Goodnight son. We love you."

"I know dad. I love you too." Eddie slowly made his way upstairs and to Max's room.

"Who is it?" Max answered in response to his brother's knock.

"It's me."

"Go away."

"Please Max. I really need to talk to you." Max didn't answer. "Come on Max. Please." Suddenly the door opened. "Thanks." Max turned away from Eddie and went and sat on his bed with his back to his brother. "Max I am really sorry for the way I acted. I was a jerk."

"You were a big, fat, stupid, ugly jerk." Max corrected.

"Wow. That's pretty bad."

"You were pretty bad."

"I'm so sorry Max. I've just got a lot of stuff going on right now and I shouldn't have taken it out on you."

"You've been really mean."

"I know."

"I don't like you very much when you are mean."

"I don't like me very much either buddy."

"Then quit being mean."

"I'm trying."

"Are you and Janet getting a divorce?" Eddie stared at Max in surprise.

"Huh?"

"Are you and Janet getting a divorce?" Max repeated.

"I don't know." Eddie answered truthfully and Max's eyes' filled with tears.

"Why? Don't you love Janet anymore?"

"I do Max. I really do love Janet. I always will but something happened and I don't know if we can ever be happy again."

"Can't you just say that you are sorry?"

"It's not that easy. There are some things that sorry can't fix."

"Well you should at least try."

"I am trying."

"Try harder." Max demanded.

"I will." Max nodded his approval. "I'm going to go to bed but before I do, I just want to tell you again how sorry I am for being mean to you."

"Okay."

"Even though I have been mean and a jerk lately, I love you. You know that, right?"

"I know." Eddie hugged his brother.

After saying goodnight Eddie left his former childhood room that Max took over when he moved out and crossed the hall to Max's old room, the smaller of the two. The room was simply decorated; nothing like it was when Max inhabited it but it was bare; no personal touches and he hated it. He missed his bedroom at home that was all Janet. This room needed a personal touch and he went downstairs to get one.

"Honey?" Judee heard Eddie in the hallway.

"I need to borrow this." He held up the picture of him and Janet from their wedding reception.

"Go right ahead." Eddie nodded in appreciation and returned to the guest room where he placed the picture on the night stand next to the bed.

He quickly unpacked the suitcase that Janet had packed perfectly with everything he could possibly need. He couldn't believe that after everything he had put her through she loved and cared for him. He didn't deserve her love or her for that matter but she wasn't giving up on him so the least he could do was try. He slipped into a tee shirt and pajama pants, climbed into bed, grabbed the picture and dialed his home number.

"Hello?"

"Hey."

"Hi. How are you?" She whispered softly.

"I'm okay. It's been a rough night. I really wanted a drink and had to call my sponsor to talk me down and then I was mean to Max and he called me a big, fat, mean, ugly, stupid jerk."

"That's bad." He could tell she was smiling.

"I deserved it. I haven't been the best brother lately. I've got to make it up to him."

"He will appreciate it and then all will be forgiven. Max is awesome that way. He forgives and loves easily."

"What are you up to?"

"Jasper and I are eating cheese puffs and watching trash TV." He knew that she was upset because she only ate cheese puffs mixed with trash TV. when she was upset.

"Trash TV huh?"

"It was Jasper's idea."

"Sure it was."

"He misses you."

"I miss him too." The two were silent for a minute until Janet spoke.

"I miss you."

"I miss you too.

"When will I…we see each other?"

"I don't know. I need some time Janet but I'm trying to work through the mess in my head."

"I understand." She sounded so sad.

"It's not you Janet. It's me."

"It's both of us Eddie."

"No. Right now, everything that is wrong with us is because of me."

"Please don't say that." He heard her sniff into the phone. Great. Now he made her cry.

"Don't cry Janet; please I can't handle it."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be." He told her with a yawn.

"You're tired. You should get a good night's sleep."

"Yeah. I am pretty beat. I will call you tomorrow okay?"

"Okay."

"Goodnight Janet."

"Goodnight Eddie." Neither of them hung up the phone.

"I love you." He finally told her.

"I love you too." Eddie ended the call, brought two fingers to his lips, kissed them and then touched those fingers to Janet's face on the picture. "I really do love you." He whispered.

* * *

Over the next several weeks Eddie attended a twice weekly two hours at a time and once he admitted that he needed the help, the sessions really did help him. He was able to finally get control of his guilt he was feeling in regards to the part he thought he played in Janet's rape. When Janet found out that Ellie, Matt's former "girlfriend" was just a casual fling as least as far as she was concerned she passed the word to Mark who informed Eddie of that little tidbit. When he learned that he was finally able to understand that Matt just used his supposed relationship as an excuse to rape Janet and when that set in, he was able to deal with the guilt.

The first two weeks that Eddie was home he and Janet exchanged daily phone calls and text messages. Mark had advised that the couple not talk about Matt or the rape which was fine by them. Their conversations were going so well that neither of them wanted to jinx it with talk about what happened to her. They were waiting to do that under the guidance of a professional.

After the two weeks of conversations, Eddie was ready to see his wife again but at the same time he was scared. He was making great progress and was scared that once he looked into those heartbroken blue eyes all the progress made would go down the drain. After a lengthy conversation with Mark, it was decided the best plan of action would be to see Janet at his parent's house. That way he had the support of his parents in a place with only good memories. It was a plan that Eddie could live with and hoped that it would work. He really did miss her.

Janet eagerly agreed but both were nervous; it was a familiar feeling they both had on their first date; nervousness mixed with hope. Nervous because they weren't quite sure where they stood in each other's lives and there was some anxiety about what seeing each other would mean but there was hope that this was the beginning of the path to finding their way back to each other and as it turned out, by the end of the visit, they felt better about each other and their situation than they had felt in a long time and when Janet left, the couple shared a long hug; the most intimate contact they have shared in months. Things were finally beginning to look up.

After that first visit, the visits continued every night that Janet was off work and with every visit they got more comfortable with each other. Eventually they worked their way out of the house and into town with Nick and Hannah. They didn't quit trust themselves alone and being with other people; his parents and brother or Nick and Hannah guaranteed that the subject of her rape wouldn't come up.

Thanksgiving arrived quickly. Eddie and Janet had so much going on that Thanksgiving was the last thing on their minds. This year, Judee, Max and Mitch headed down south to spend the holiday with Judee's parents. Eddie and Janet had also received the invite but given their current situation, they chose not to go and there was no way Eddie was going to his grandparent's house without Janet; he wouldn't have a moments peace if he was there and his wife was not. Janet's parents were spending Thanksgiving with some former friends from the army so they were going to be gone and Lillian, Jason and the boys went to Jason's parents. Janet was invited to go with her parents and Lillian but she politely declined. She wasn't in the mood to be a 'third" wheel. Since she had nowhere to be Janet volunteered to pick up the day shift at the front desk.

Eddie was sitting home, attempting to enjoy the Thanksgiving Day football game but it wasn't working. He was hungry, lonely and couldn't stop thinking about Janet. Since she was working, they had no plans to see each other today. They weren't going to see each other again until the following day when she joined him for his therapy session but he couldn't wait until then. He needed to see her today.

* * *

Janet was sitting at her desk with her office door open so she could hear any guests that came in, working on some paperwork when the bell at the front desk dinged. Thankful for the distraction away from the boring paperwork, she rose and went to the front desk. "Eddie." She said in surprise.

"Happy Thanksgiving."

"You too. What are you doing here? Do you need a room?"

"No room. I was sitting at home, alone, bored and hungry ."

"And?"

"And by coming here I am no longer lonely or bored and I brought pizza so that solves my hunger problem."

"Pizza on Thanksgiving?"

"I sure as hell can't cook Thanksgiving dinner so my only option was pizza. I had to drive all the way to Mission Flats to find a pie so now it's lukewarm but it's better than nothing. So what do you say?" Eddie flashed her a charming, irresistible smile. "Care to join me for the game and pizza?"

"I guess I could eat and I'm not busy at all."

"Well I don't want to force you to do anything you don't want to do." Janet smiled.

"I never do anything that I don't want to do. I'll grab us some drinks and meet you in the lobby."

"Is there anything else I can help you with Mr. Bradshaw?" Janet asked the customer that she just finished checking in.

"No ma'am. "

"Here is your key. If there is anything you need, just call down here."

"Will do." Janet waited until Mr. Bradshaw and his wife were in the elevator before she returned to the lobby and Eddie.

"Did I miss anything?" She asked.

"A whole ten yards."

"So I didn't miss anything?"

"So what are your big shopping plans for tonight?" Janet was a dedicated Black Friday shopper.

"I'm not going this year."

"Why not?"

"Hannah is at her parent's house and it's never a good idea to go without a partner when it comes to Black Friday shopping."

"I'll go with."

"Excuse me?"

"I'll be your shopping partner."

"You hate shopping."

"You don't. You love Black Friday shopping and you shouldn't miss it because you don't have a partner."

"I appreciate it but I'm not really in the shopping mood." Eddie knew the real reason she wasn't in a shopping mood; him.

"Well I suggest you get in the mood because I don't want to shop with a grump."

"I beg your pardon?"

"What don't you understand?"

"You want to go shopping?"

"Yeah."

"You want to go shopping on the biggest shopping day of the year?"

"Yep and I want to shop with you."

"With me?" Eddie nodded. "Why? You hate shopping."

"But you love it and you should go so to make sure that happens I will have to accompany you."

"Are you sure?" She had really enjoyed the time they had spent together today and she wasn't ready for it to end so the idea of shopping with Eddie appealed to her.

"Very sure. I want to see what all the fuss is about."

"Okay fine but no complaining."

"Not one word."

* * *

Eddie and Janet returned from shopping around three the following morning. As far Janet was concerned it was a successful shopping trip. There were so many great deals that she couldn't possibly pass up and got most of her Christmas shopping done. Now to Eddie, the same trip was pure torture. Janet was right, he wasn't a big fan of shopping and Black Friday shopping was worse than he had ever imagined. People were unbelievably rude; pushing, shoving; it was crazy. There were a few people that he wanted to punch but he restrained himself for Janet's sake but not once did he complain. He just pushed the shopping cart and carried the bags wearing a smile the whole time.

"You actually enjoy that?" Eddie asked once all of the bags were on the dining room table. He knelt down to pet Jasper who was running around his feet.

"Love it. It always gets my adrenaline pumping. You hated it didn't you?"

"Every minute." He answered with a grin.

"Thanks for not complaining."

"I told you I wouldn't."

"I appreciate it. Thanks for going with me. "

"No problem. Do you want help putting this stuff away?"

"No. I'll get it tomorrow." Eddie stood and Jasper whined. "He's really missed you."

"I've missed him too. I've missed both of you."

"Thank you for spending today with me. It means a lot."

"There is nowhere else I would have rather been. Thank you for sharing a Thanksgiving pizza with me."

"It was my pleasure."

"Do you want to meet for breakfast before our appointment with Mark?"

"Sure."

"How does Miss. Anne's diner at nine sound?"

"Sounds great."

"Okay then. I'm going to head home and get a few hours of shut eye."

"You are home." She whispered.

"Janet…I didn't mean anything by that. It's just habit to call the place where I'm sleeping home. I know this is my home."

"Please?" There were tears in her eyes. "Please stay."

"I would like that."

"So would I." Jasper barked in agreement. "Apparently, he would like that too." Janet reached out and took Eddie's hand. "Shall we?"

"I…uh…"

"Sleep. That's all I want to do."

"Sleep sounds good."

They turned off the lights, went to their bedroom, quickly changed into some sleepwear with their backs to each other and climbed into their respective sides of the bed, Janet lying on her side and Eddie on his back. It took five minutes before Eddie quit fighting with himself and rolled over behind Janet and wrapped his arms around her.

"Is this okay?" He whispered.

"It's perfect."

"Goodnight Janet. I love you."

"I love you too."


	48. Chapter 48

When the alarm went off four and a half hours later Eddie and Janet were still in the same position they were when they fell asleep; on their sides, Eddie's front pressed to Janet's back with his arm holding her close. When that annoying beep pulled Janet out of her deep sleep she reached over without opening her eyes, hit the snooze button and promptly fell back asleep for nine minutes until the alarm went off again. This time, she turned it off but she didn't fall back asleep. She lay perfectly still relishing in the feel of her husband's arms back around her.

"You awake?" Eddie whispered and she nodded. "Good Morning."

"Morning."

"How did you sleep?"

"Like a rock. You?"

"The same. I am so comfortable that I don't want to get up."

"Okay. We don't have to."

"As much as I would love to sleep the day away, we do have an important appointment today."

"We could reschedule." As much as she wanted this appointment with Mark so that they could finally discuss everything that has happened to their relationship since her rape there was part of her that was scared that by bringing up and reliving all of their horrible actions over the last few months would be what broke the single piece of thread that was barely holding their relationship together.

"I don't want to reschedule it. I want to be able to move on." Tears filled Janet's eyes.

"Do you want to move on from me?" She asked with a shaking voice and he gently rolled her over on her back so he could look at her.

"No Janet. I don't want to move on from you. I want to move on from your rape and my drinking. I want to move forward with our life."

"I want that too."

"To do that we need to keep our appointment."

"Well then I guess I should get moving." Janet slowly sat up and Eddie followed her lead.

"Before you run off to the shower, can I kiss you good morning?" He asked softly.

"I would like that very much." Eddie leaned forward and gently brushed his lips against hers. It was a quick and sweet kiss. In fact, it was perfect.

"Good morning." He whispered as he rested his forehead against hers.

"Hmmm. I have missed this." She responded with closed eyes.

"Me too." They stayed in that position for another minute until Janet reluctantly pulled away.

"I need to shower."

"I'll make the coffee."

* * *

"Why don't you two come on back?" Mark had stepped out of his office. Eddie and Janet looked at each other and then stood.

"This is it." Eddie whispered taking Janet's hand and leading her into Mark's office.

"Hello Eddie. Hi Janet." Carrie, Janet's rape therapist greeted. She was invited to join this meeting.

"Did you have a nice holiday?" Janet asked.

"I did. How about you?" Janet looked at Eddie and smiled shyly.

"I…we had a very nice holiday."

"Glad to hear it." Mark sat down in a chair across from the couple. "Still sober Eddie?"

"Yes sir."

"Any urges?"

"A few but nothing I couldn't get through."

"That's good, especially considering Thanksgiving was yesterday. A lot of people with drinking problems backslide during holidays."

"Yesterday wasn't a normal Thanksgiving. We had pizza at Janet's work which probably was why I got through the day."

"So things are going well between you two?"

"Yeah. I think we are getting better every day."

"Would you agree Janet?"

"Yes I would. "

"Am I correct to state that you guys have not discussed your rape and your drinking?"They both nodded. "It's time to discuss it." Mark told them.

"Things have been going so well without discussing it. Do we have too?" Janet asked.

"You can't keep it on the back burner because when it finally does surface, it will not be pretty."

"I know, I just…I…"

"What is it Janet?" Carrie asked. "Remember what we talked about? This is a safe room and you can say anything you need to say."

"Go ahead honey. It's okay. Say what you need to say." Eddie encouraged.

"I'm afraid that when we talk about what happened to us that we'll…that I will lose you again."

"That's not going to happen." Eddie squeezed her hand.

"Eddie, why don't you start and explain to Janet why your drinking got out of control?" Mark suggested.

"I can do that." He turned to face Janet. "I love you so much and I never want anything bad to happen to you. When Matt started his creepy stalking stuff my protective instinct went into high gear."

"I remember."

"I felt it was my job as your husband to protect you from anything bad happening to you and I failed. I let Matt get to you and he did the worst thing a man could do to a woman; he raped you. He took something precious from you and from us."

"It wasn't your fault." She whispered softly.

"I started drinking more than normal because I felt like a failure and the alcohol made me feel better. I was able to forget that I let you down."

"You didn't let me down."

"Once I heard Matt's version of what and why your rape happened it just got worse. He raped you because of something that I did. If it wasn't for me, you never would have been raped. You would have been safe."

"That's not true."

"I realize that now but when I heard Matt's explanation for why he raped you, it was my worst nightmare come true. One of my dumb ass decisions came back to haunt me and you were the one who paid for it. A good husband would never have let that happen."

"Eddie I…"He wouldn't let her talk.

"Hearing it from Matt's mouth was bad enough but when I heard you say those words; blame me for your rape…it was just too much. It was one thing that I thought it was my fault but to have you think the same thing pushed me over the edge. I felt so damn guilty which is why I really started drinking. As long as I was drunk I didn't feel as guilty. I could look at you and not hate myself. Without the alcohol, I hated myself for what happened to you."

"I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for Janet. You did nothing wrong. Don't ever think that. It was all me. I couldn't handle what I was feeling or with the guilt that I shouldn't have had so I solved the problem with drinking instead of talking to you or anyone for that matter. I put you through hell baby and I am so sorry."

"If I wouldn't have blamed you then maybe none of this wouldn't have happened."

"Janet you can't blame yourself for Eddie's actions." Mark added.

"He's right babe. I am a grown man who made my own decisions and over the last few months I made some really bad ones; decisions that I hope one day, you will be able to forgive me for them."

"Were you going to divorce me?" Eddie's eyes filled with pain. He didn't want to answer her but he knew he needed to be honest with her.

"I was." He admitted softly.

"Why? Because I was raped?"

"Oh God no Janet. I wanted to divorce you so I could quit hurting you. I knew that I was hurting you and I couldn't keep doing that. Matt hurting you was bad enough. You didn't need to be hurt by me and the only way I could see to stop hurting you was to leave you. You didn't deserve what I did to you."

"We both made mistakes Eddie. We hurt each other. I'm not innocent here. I was angry and I blamed you for my rape and I know that hurt you. I never, ever should have blamed you for my rape. I'm so very, very sorry." Tears fell from Janet's eyes. "I was just so damn angry."

"Please babe, don't cry." He begged, tenderly wiping away her tears with a tissue. She grabbed the tissue out of his hand and blew her nose.

"Thanks."

"The last thing I ever wanted to do is hurt you and I never would have hurt you if I had been sober. I was selfish and only considered what I was feeling and how I could stop feeling guilty and by doing that, I hurt you. I'm sober now Janet and I will never drink like that again. I will do whatever it takes to never hurt you again. I promise you. I swear on everything I have to never put you through the hell I put you through."

"I believe you Eddie." Now he was the one with tears rolling down his face and this time Janet was the one who tenderly wiped them off of his face.

"Janet, why were you so angry with me? Was it because I couldn't protect you?"

"No. I wasn't angry because you couldn't protect me. I was angry because I was raped."

"And I was there?"

"And you were there." Janet looked at the floor. "I was so angry at Matt but he wasn't there. You were. I am so ashamed of how I treated you but I…"

"Go ahead Janet." Carrie encouraged. "Tell Eddie how you felt."

"I felt so many things. Where do I begin?"

"Try the beginning."

"When I woke up in that horrible room, I was confused and scared but comforted at the same time because you were there Eddie. You've always been my rock and you were there right beside me being my rock and voice of reason. At the hospital during that awful and embarrassing exam you were right beside me; without you, I don't think I could have gotten through that humiliating experience."

"Something changed." Eddie noted.

"I had no memory of what happened with Matt. I was under the influence of the date rape drug and I had no idea how I responded to what happened. I was terrified that maybe I enjoyed it. I couldn't get that thought out of my mind. All I could think about was this was the second time that I slept with someone else while we were together and I knew that this time you would never forgive me and I…I would lose you again."

"Never once did that thought cross my mind. What happened with Roster and what happened with Matt are two totally different situations. You did nothing wrong. There is nothing for me to forgive."

"You say that now but at the time, I thought I was losing you."

"Why did you think that?"

"That night you asked me if I wanted you to join me in the shower."

"Yeah and you told me to take Jasper out."

"And you did."

"I thought that's what you wanted."

"I thought I was giving you an easy out."

"Easy out? What are you talking about?"

"I knew that you didn't want to touch or see me."

"Why would you say that?"

"Because you only asked to join me if you were joking and then you never actually wanted an answer; you just came in and that night you didn't."

"I didn't know if you wanted me with you. I didn't know if you wanted me to touch you."

"I didn't know if I wanted to be touched or not but I guess I wanted you to want to touch me."

"I'm sorry."

"By the time I went to bed I had pretty much convinced myself that our marriage was over. I cried myself to sleep and you didn't even know." Eddie hung his head.

"I knew." He admitted. "Even though you were sleeping, your eyes were swollen. I knew you were crying but I couldn't acknowledge it. I didn't know how to acknowledge your pain."

"You told me you loved me."

"I remember. You said it back."

"Hearing those words made me feel better but by the time I woke up the next morning you were all the over on your side of the bed. Seeing you so far away from me in bed made me think that our marriage was heading in the divorce direction. I was so scared."

"I didn't know what to think. I tried to get you to talk but you refused."

"I wanted to Eddie, I really did but I think I was afraid if I actually talked about what happened with you it would push you further away." Janet wiped the tears that were falling. "I think that was the beginning of our downward spiral."

"I think you are right."

"I made your favorite dinner and we sat through it like strangers. It was probably the most uncomfortable meal I had to sit through."

"I didn't know what to say Janet." Eddie ran his hand through his hair. "It's not like we could talk about the weather. It just wasn't right. I couldn't have a regular conversation with you after what you had been through."

"But I wanted that. I wanted "normal." With normal I could forget what had happened to me; think about other things but we weren't talking so all I could think about…"

"Was your rape."

"Yeah that and the fact that our marriage was falling apart. I was so scared that I…that we were losing us. That's why I wanted to make love. I thought…I hoped that we would reconnect but we didn't."

"Not even close."

"It was the worst sex ever." Normally, Janet would never discuss their sex life with anyone or in front of anyone but by this point the two of them were so into their conversation, they forgot that they were not alone. "You never had any trouble before and that night it was an effort for you and it made me think that it was me; that you were so disgusted by me."

"I was never disgusted by you."

"Then what was the problem?" Eddie didn't want to tell her but he knew he had to be honest.

"I didn't want to make love." He admitted softly and flinched when he saw the hurt cross her face.

"Why?" She whispered.

"Because you were raped Janet and I couldn't get that out of my mind. All I could think about and see was you and Matt."

"So it was me?" She began to cry softly and Eddie took her in his arms.

"No baby. It wasn't you."

"It was. You just said…"

"I am not explaining this right." Eddie looked at the therapists for help.

"Janet can you look at me?" Mark asked. Slowly, Janet raised her tear stained face. "Janet, it was the rape that was holding Eddie back. It was not you. It's important that you understand that."

"But I was raped so doesn't that make it about me?"

"No Janet, it doesn't." Carrie explained. "Eddie was preoccupied with what had happened to you; your rape not you. Eddie built up a wall when you were raped and that night, he couldn't see past that wall. What happened that night between you two was about the rape; the action of what happened to you not about you personally."

"If you didn't want to make love then why did you?"

"Because you wanted it and since I thought that it would help you I did it. I wanted to help you any way that I could."

"I thought it's what I wanted but what we did was the last thing I wanted or needed. Maybe if it was like it was before it would have been what I needed but it wasn't and it just made things worse."

"I couldn't think about you; I couldn't think about me; I couldn't think about us; all I could think about was Matt and what he may have done to you."

"Me too." Janet admitted. "I couldn't help but wonder if Matt did to me what you were doing. Maybe if you had touched me or actually looked at me it may have been better. I may not have thought about Matt."

"You flinched when I…I felt you flinch and then tense up. I thought I hurt you."

"I didn't realize how sore I was until…I guess we should have stopped."

"We should have done a lot of things differently."

"When it was over we didn't even kiss. You walked out of our room and got drunk while I laid alone in bed and cried into a pillow so you wouldn't hear me."

"And I sat in the living room drinking my pain away."

"Did it work?"

"Not even close." They both leaned back against the couch mentally exhausted.

"You two are doing really good." Mark complemented them. "Would you like to take a short break?"

"I'm good. Janet?" He asked.

"I'm fine. I would like to finish this."

"Okay then. I believe the turning point for both of you was the day that Janet recorded Matt's confession. "

"That's right. That's the day I blamed Eddie for my rape." She said quietly. "I was so angry and I shouldn't have done that. I will always regret that."

"Why were you so mad at me? What did I do?"

"You were there." Janet took his hand. "I was angry at Matt for raping me; I was angry that my rape and Matt were ruining our marriage. I was angry that you weren't with me when I went to trap Matt and I was mad that you weren't there at the park when it really hit me that I was raped."

"You didn't tell me what in the hell you were doing. You didn't wake me up so how could I have been there? You should know that I would have been there."

"I didn't tell you because you were DRUNK! You would have been no help to me in your condition."

"You're right. I was no good to anyone; especially you. I let you down."

"I let you down too Eddie. I never should have blamed you for my rape. I knew deep down Matt raped me because of some sick revenge plot against you but hearing Matt actually admit to it…I think it just pushed me over the edge. I was hurting and wanted you to hurt too."

"I was already hurting so that was easy to accomplish. Hearing you blame me, knowing you believed what had said, broke my heart. I never thought you would forgive me; hell, I never thought that I could forgive myself. I didn't think that we would ever be able to find our way back to each other."

"Have we found our way back to each other?" Janet whispered tearfully.

"I think we have. Don't you?"

"I hope so. There is nothing I want more."

Eddie and Janet spent the remaining time continuing with the progress that they were making. They talked more about the rape and their reaction to it. They talked about not talking to each other and in the end they realized that was one of their biggest problems. They kept everything inside; they assumed that the other knew what they wanted and they assumed wrong. Due to the lack of communication and the assumptions made they finally realized that's why they and their marriage fell apart.

By the end of their three hour session Eddie and Janet were mentally and physically exhausted but the exhaustion they felt was a small price to pay for all they accomplished. A huge weight had been lifted from their shoulders and their lives and they were confident that they could move forward with their lives together.

* * *

"You okay?" Eddie asked once he climbed into his truck. Janet hasn't said anything since they walked out of Mark's office and to the truck. She turned and smiled at him.

"I'm great. Better than I have been in a long time. How are you?"

"I'm good. I am really good." Eddie started the truck. "So where to?"

"Home?"

"Janet, I would like to come home. I've got my drinking under control and I'm ready to come home. I've missed you. Can I come back home?"

"I never said you couldn't come home. That was your choice."

"It was what I needed to do to stay sober."

"I understand that and I supported that."

"I know you did."

"Eddie our home hasn't been the same since you left. It's so lonely. I have been lonely so if you are ready to come home I will welcome you with open arms."

"I want to come home."

"Then come home."

"If you insist." Eddie said with a grin.

"I do insist." Janet leaned over the seat and pressed her lips to her husbands'. "I really insist."

"Let's go home." They linked hands and Eddie pulled out of the parking lot and pointed his truck in the direction of their home.


	49. Chapter 49

Not wanting to be away from Janet any longer than he had been over the past weeks and months he decided that he would go to his parents the following day, when Janet was at work to pack up his things and they went home together with plans of starting over and moving forward and away from the rape.

"Since I am working this weekend, I was thinking that maybe we could get the Christmas tree and decorations out today?" Janet suggested on the way home.

"Yeah. Let's do it." Janet reached out and squeezed his hand.

"Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me."

The remainder of the ride home was done in silence but it was a comfortable silence. Once they got home, Janet let Jasper out while Eddie brought out all of the boxes of Christmas decorations and their tree up from the basement. Janet set to work setting up her cottages and other Christmas odds and ends throughout the house while Eddie put the tree up.

"Are you satisfied yet?" Eddie asked, coming up behind her. Over the last thirty minutes he had watched Janet continually move and rearrange her cottages.

"I think so." She reached out and repositioned a cottage. "Yes. I think that I am satisfied. What do you think?"

"I think it looks perfect."

"Maybe I should move…" Eddie grinned and pulled Janet to his chest.

"Don't move anything?"

"Anything? Are you sure about that?" She flirted.

"Well…not anything; just not your cottages."

"So I could move my….lips?"

"Yeah. You can move your lips." Janet smiled and without another word, she raised her head, stood on her tip toes and pressed her lips to his and kissed him slowly with her arms at her side. "You know, I think that you should move your arms and hands if you want."

"I want." This time when Janet kissed him she wrapped her arms around his neck and ran her fingers through his short hair. Eddie's hands cupped her face, pulling her closer. Within a minute their slow and deep kiss turned urgent and passionate. Eddie pulled his lips away from Janet's and placed them on her neck, her ear, down to her collar bone and back up to her lips. Janet moaned into his mouth as she slid her hands under his shirt and scrapped her nails against his sensitive skin, causing him to gasp. They haven't kissed or touch liked this in such a long time and it felt so good. Eddie groaned when Janet pressed against his growing arousal. She wanted him as much as he wanted her.

Eddie was so lost in the sensations of Janet he was shocked and pleasantly surprised when he felt her hands move from under his shirt to his belt. "Are…are you …sure?" He managed to get out between his ragged breaths. She was literally taking his breath away.

"Yes. Do you want this?" She asked, succeeding in unbulcking his pants. She was now working on the button on his jeans.

"Hell yeah."

"Then stop talking." Eddie wisely chose to stop talking and caught up with Janet's progress by adding her jeans to the floor with his followed by her underwear. They attempted to make it to their bedroom but they only made it another foot. They wanted each other and they could not wait. Gently Eddie pushed Janet up against the wall and kissed her hard. Without removing his lips from hers he lifted her up and sank into her. She wrapped her legs around his waist, locking them together at the ankles and held on for the ride. They were both almost there so it only took a few strokes before they both were coming apart at the seams; their lips fused together the entire time. When their bodies finally stopped shaking Eddie scooped Janet up into his arms and carried her the few remaining feet to their bedroom where he deposited her onto their bed.

"Did I hurt you?" He asked softly, crawling into bed beside her; hurting her is his biggest fear.

"Not at all." She pulled him down on top of her. "It was just what we needed."

"Well I don't know about you but I need more."

Eddie sat up on his knees, pulled his tee shirt over his head, tossed it to the floor and then did the same to his wife's shirt and bra then slowly he began to kiss his way down her body. He took his time, placing his lips on every available piece of bare skin which was a lot considering the fact that she was naked underneath him. Every kiss was pure bliss for both of them; Eddie loved the feeling of Janet's soft skin beneath his lips while Janet loved the feel of Eddie's lips on her sensitive sexually charged skin.

By the time Edie pushed into Janet she was already so close to falling that she cried out in pleasure as soon as they became one Eddie stilled inside of her; savoring the feeling of being one with his wife again. If he could have, he would have stayed like that forever but Janet had other ideas. When she began to move underneath, signaling her desire to move things along so he slowly began to move within her. He moved slowly no amount of begging from Janet for him to go faster changed that. He knew she wanted fast but he wanted slow. He wanted to make this last as long as possible so he continued to move slowly while maintain constant eye contact with Janet. The slowness and eye contact made what they were experiencing was more intimate then anything they have shared before and when the damn finally broke their orgasam was better than ever.

"I love you." Janet whispered breathlessly.

"I love you too sweetheart." Eddie responded, pulling out of Janet and rolling onto his back. Janet rolled to her stomach and began to place kisses on his sweaty chest. "Are you okay?" He asked softly. She lifted her head from his chest answered him with a beautiful smile.

"I am perfectly fine."

"It wasn't too soon?"

"If it was, I wouldn't have done it."

"Were you…did you…"

"Was I thinking of Matt and the rape?" Eddie nodded. "Not once did either of those things cross my mind. The only thing I was thinking of was you, what you were doing to me and how it made me feel. Were you thinking of Matt or the rape?"

"All I was thinking about was you."

"That's a good answer."

"Honestly babe, you were the only thing on my mind."

"I better have been." She lowered her head and resumed kissing his chest as his hand traveled down to her butt when suddenly Edie's stomach growled. "Somebody's hungry." She commented with a grin.

"Starving." Janet reluctantly pulled herself away from Eddie.

"Come on. Let's order some food and start working on the tree."

"How about we order food and eat it in bed?"

"We need to get the tree decorated." She got out of bed and slipped her robe on.

"We can do it tomorrow after you get off of work."

"No we can't. Tomorrow night is the first night of the Christmas festival and the lighting of the tree and I want to go."

"What about Sunday?"

"I have a date after work." Eddie sat up.

"A date? May I ask with whom? I may need to beat some ass."

"Your brother." Eddie reached out, grabbed her hand and pulled her back into bed.

"When everything went down with us, you could have walked away from Max but you didn't. The time that you two spent together meant the world to him. Thank you for not walking away from my brother."

"I love Max. He is my brother and that relationship so very important to me and nothing that ever going to change that."

"You mean the world to Max and to me."

"And you boys mean the world to me too." Janet leaned forward and just before her lips met his, she pulled away. "Now get up. We have work to do."

"That's mean."

"Well if you want another kiss, you may want to get up because I have a tree to decorate." With that, she climbed out of bed and out walked out of the room. Eddie groaned and followed her lead, looking for his jeans on the way.

* * *

"That was fast." Janet commented when the doorbell rang. They had only ordered their Chinese food fifteen minutes ago.

"I got it."

"Maybe you should put a shirt on." She suggested since he was just wearing his jeans that hung low on his hips.

"Fine." He grumbled as Janet tossed him the tee shirt she had been trying to get him to put on since they made it out of their bedroom. Once his shirt was on and the doorbell rang a second time he grabbed his wallet and went to the door. "Well, you aren't Chinese delivery." He said to Janet's dad.

"What are you doing here?"

"Uh…last I checked, I lived here."

"Sorry, I didn't know that you moved back home."

"Officailly today, but I stayed the night last night after Janet and I went shopping."

"And things are going well for you?"

"Yeah. Things are really well."

"I'm glad."

"Would you like to come in?"

"No, I don't want to intrude."

"Please, come in." Eddie stepped to the side to allow Janet's father to enter. "We ordered Chinese and there will be plenty if you want to join us."

"No thanks. I just came to check on Janet."

"I'm fine daddy." Janet said walking over and kissing her dad. At this point she was thankful that she chose to put on her big comfy terrycloth robe that covers up everything instead of her silk robe that doesn't leave much to the imagination.

"I knew that you had your couselaing session today and I wanted to make sure that you were okay."

"You could have called." She told him with a grin.

"I can tell that you are lying much better in person than over the phone." They walked into the living room and took a seat.

"That's true. Janet can't lie o save her life but she sometimes can fool you over the phone." Eddie agreed.

"Hey. I am sitting right here." Both men laughed.

"So, do you mind if I ask how your therapy session went today?" Patrick asked the couple. Eddie looked at Janet who gave a slight nod.

"It went well. We learned a lot about each other; the strengths and weaknesses in our relationship and marriage and now we know what we need to do to keep from traveling down that rabbit hole again." Eddie explained, taking Janet's hand in his own.

"I'm glad and hopefully, that was the rough patch in your marriage and the rest of your very long marriage will be a cake walk."

"Your mouth to God's ears daddy." Just then the doorbell rang. "That must be our dinner."

"I got it…again." Eddie stood and went to the door.

"You know, you can stay for dinner."

"I appreciate the offer sweetheart but it looks like you two are in the middle of something." Patrick motioned to the empty tree. "And I don't want to intrude."

"It's just decorating a tree."

"No honey, it's more and you know it." Janet turned and looked at the tree.

"Yeah it is." Patrick kissed his daughter.

"I love you."

"Love you too dad." Patrick left Janet gazing at the tree and went to the door.

"You're not staying?" Eddie asked.

"No. You and Janet need some time alone." Eddie grinned. "Before I leave I want you to know how proud I am of you."

"I…wow. Thank you."

"Take care of my girl."

"You know I will." The two men shook hands. Patrick left and Eddie took their dinner into the living room. "This smells great. I am starving." Eddie commented, sitting beside Janet.

"Hmmm."

"Are you okay?"

"What do you see?" She asked, pointing to their Christmas tree.

"Uh a naked Christmas tree."

"Besides the obvious, do you see anything?"

"I'll see what you want me to see." He joked with her as he set their dinner out onto the coffee table.

"I see an empty Christmas tree."

"Same thing I see."

"Right now it is just an empty Christmas tree but I remember what it looked like last year; how beautiful it was once it was all decorated."

"I remember."

"Every year when we decorate the Christmas tree we start the Christmas season over."

"I see where you are going with this."

"Our relationship hasn't been easy. I'm not going to take a trip down memory lane because we don't need it but I will point out that we have been through a hell of a lot of heartbreak hence the empty Christmas tree. I would like to think that through all of the pain we came out better and stronger and according to my analogy the decorated Christmas tree is our relationship after we healed. It's better and prettier than the last one."

"I really like your analogy."

"Since we are decorating our tree tonight, I would like it symbolize the two of us starting another chapter in our lives together; a new beginning that will hopefully have a happy ending." Eddie reached out and cupped her cheek.

"We will have a happy ending Janet. After everything we have been through a happy ending is the least we deserve."

"I hope you are right."

"I know I am right."

"Come on, let's decorate." Janet quickly kissed him and then jumped up; her excitement was contagious and Eddie followed her lead.

_**ONE MONTH LATER…CHRISTMAS DAY **_

Over the month leading up to Christmas, Eddie and Janet continued to grow closer and their relationship grew stronger. They had three more therapy sessions together and by the end of the third and final session, they had officially put the rape behind them and they were leading the happy and relatively carefree life they were leading before the rape. They were in love and happy…again.

"I have one more gift for you." Janet pulled out Eddie's final gift from beside the couch.

"Babe, this is really too much." They were both exceptionally generous with other this year.

"This is a gift for both of us."

"If you say so." Shrugging, he opened the small box. "A coffee mug? Is this really for both of us or is it for you and you are pretending it's for us?"

"Turn it around and read it."

Eddie turned the mug around and read the words "**World's Greatest Dad**" and then read them again because at first he didn't understand. He wasn't a dad. Maybe she accidently bought the wrong mug and then it hit him. Janet said this gift was for both of them. Could it be? He turned to her with wide questioning eyes.

"Are you…?" He managed to whisper and she nodded. "You are…we are….are we having a baby?"

"We are having a baby."

"Oh my…we are having a baby." Eddie set his newest and favorite coffee cup down and pulled his wife onto his lap and placed his hand on her belly. "We are having a baby." He was awestruck.

"We are having a baby." She confirmed.

"Are you sure?"

"Pretty darn. I took five pregnancy tests."

"Five? Are you kidding?"

"I wanted to be sure."

"How long have you known?"

"Yesterday. Over the past couple of days, my breasts had been sore but I thought that I was going to start my period. Yesterday, when I woke up I was slightly nauseated I put that and the sore breasts together so on my way to work I bought the pregnancy tests."

"All five of them?"

"Yeah. I took the first two right when I got to work. The first was positive but I didn't trust it so I took a second one and that one was positive too. I waited a few more hours before I took the third one; another positive test but I still didn't believe it so before we went to bed, I took the fourth one and it was positive too and then just to make sure, I took the last one this morning and of course that one was positive too."

"You weren't taking any chances were you?"

"Nope."

"If you just found out yesterday, when did you get the mug?"

"Yesterday on my way home from work. Remember, I told you I had some last minute shopping; that's what I was getting."

"Well aren't you a sneaky one?"

"I wanted to tell you as soon as I saw the very first plus sign. I was thinking of the best way to tell you when I thought of the coffee mug and since I had to wait less than a day until Christmas I decided to wait so it would be something that we would never forget."

"I will never forget this moment."

"That was the plan."

"Are we going to tell anyone else?"

"I want to. I bought mugs like yours for our parents and Lil."

"What about Max?"

"Since he doesn't drink coffee I bought him a tee shirt."

"Are you sure that you want to tell everyone so soon after what happened last time?"

"Yes I want to. There was no rhyme or reason for my miscarriage so the chance that it could happen again is small so I am thinking positive."

"I'm right there with you babe." He smiled tenderly at his wife. "So when do you think we will be meeting our bundle of joy?"

"I think we made this baby on your first day home so my guess is sometime in the fall. I will make a doctor's appointment on Monday and I'm sure during my first visit, they will tell me."

"Wow, I still can't believe that you are pregnant."

"Are you happy about it?"

"I couldn't be happier. You?"

"Very happy. Very, very happy." Janet wrapped her arms around her neck. "It's amazing how much difference a year can make. This time last year we were mourning the baby that we lost and this year we are talking about our new baby."

"And this time next year we will be having Christmas with a baby."

"I can't wait." The couple drew towards each other and shared a slow kiss.

* * *

Janet's gifts for telling their familes that they were pregnant worked wonderfully. They had previously invited everyone over for Christmas dinner and to exchange gifts. After everyone thought all the gifts were opened the couple handed out the "baby announcements." Like Eddie, it took everyone a minute to understand what the coffee mugs were telling them but once they figure it out, they were thrilled. There were tears, cheers, handshakes and hugs. Everyone was thrilled except for Max. He knew he wasn't an uncle so he couldn't understand why his brother and Janet got him a **World's Greatest Uncle **tee shirt and his confusion deepened when all of the cheering and congratulations began. He sat, staring at his tee shirt dumbfounded.

"Max, what's wrong buddy?" Eddie asked once he noticed his brother's confusion. He walked over and sat in the recently vacated seat next to him.

"I am not an uncle. Why did you get me this tee shirt?" Eddie grinned.

"We got you that…"

"And why is everyone freaking out?"

"Janet, babe, come over here." She broke away from her mother and went and sat on Eddie's lap. "Max doesn't understand why he got his tee shirt."

"I am not an uncle." Eddie nodded at Janet.

"You are going to be an uncle."

"Huh?"

"Max, Janet is going to have a baby." The poor boy still looked confused. "Because I am the baby's dad and you are my brother that means that you are this baby's uncle."

"Really? I'm going to be an uncle?"

"You sure are."

"Cool. So what does an uncle do?"


	50. Chapter 50

"Honey, I am going to call my parents and see if we can reschedule watching Max." Eddie told his wife when she had a break in her vomiting.

"No don't. Your parents have been planning this trip away for a long time. It will be over soon and I will be fine."

"Are you sure?"

"We promised yours parents. They deserve time away. We can't break our word." Janet felt her stomach lurch and her head was back in the toilet. Eddie grabbed the washcloth out of her hand and rewet it with cold water and placed it on the back of her neck.

"See, I'm getting better already."

"If you say so."

"Positive thinking."

"Do you need anything?"

"Yeah. I think I am out of crackers and ginger ale."

"Your wish is my command." Eddie went to kiss her but before he could reach her, she had her head back in the toilet puking again. "Oh honey. I am so sorry that you are so sick." He felt helpless.

"You should be. You did this to me." She told him with a weak grin when she stopped throwing up.

"I sure did." He kissed her sweaty forehead. "I'll be back soon with crackers and Ginger Ale. If you need anything before I get back, call me."

"I will."

"Love you."

"Love you too."

Janet was ten weeks pregnant and for nine of those ten weeks, she has been experiencing horrible morning sickness. Every morning, she spent at least an hour in the bathroom throwing up. The first morning, she woke up throwing up she was an hour late for work, which was unacceptable for her so every day after that, she woke up an hour earlier than she normally would so she could get to work on time and then she sat with a trash can by her desk to catch any lingering vomit that never failed to make its way to the surface every morning but Janet never complained. Throwing up was not fun in the least but every time she had her head in the toilet or trash can she knew their baby was alive and growing inside of her and if her baby needed her to throw up every day for the rest of her pregnancy, she would happily do so.

* * *

"Where's Janet?" Max asked as soon as Eddie walked in the door.

"She's at home sick."

"Is she okay?"

"She'll be fine. Is your stuff ready?'

"It's in my room."

"Well go get it." Max ran upstairs and Judee called Eddie into the kitchen. "Hey mom." Eddie walked over and kissed h is mother.

"Did I hear you tell your brother Janet is sick?"

"Yeah. Morning sickness."

"It's almost noon."

"It's a bad day. I feel really bad for her. Do you know of any secret remedies?"

"Sorry sweetheart. I had no morning sickness with you. Just crackers and ginger ale."

"That much I know. Max and I are stopping at the store on the way home to stock up."

"Good boy." She handed Eddie a bag of pill bottles. "Here is Max's medicine."

"Geez. He takes this much medicine? What is it all for?" Sadly, Eddie wasn't real familiar with Max's medication because every time he stayed the night Janet was the one that handled it.

"His heart. He takes medicine to keep his blood pressure down, he takes a blood thinner and he takes antibiotics to keep from getting an infection in his heart."

"Is his heart really that bad?"

"It's not that bad but it's not great either and that's why he is on the medicine; to keep his heart from getting worse. The directions are on the bottles and I wrote them out for you."

"Okay. No problem."

"If there are any problems…"

"Mom, we will be fine."

"Are you sure? With Janet being so sick I don't want to put any more strain on her."

"What's wrong with Janet?" Mitch asked walking into the kitchen.

"Morning sickness."

"Maybe we should reschedule." Mitch suggested.

"Will you guys relax? Go and enjoy yourself. Janet and I will take great care of Max. Right dude?" Eddie asked Max who had joined them in the kitchen.

"Right what?"

"Janet and I will take good care of you."

"Janet always takes good care of me." Everyone laughed.

"All right little brother; give mom and dad a hug. They need to get on the road." Max did as he was told.

"If you need anything call us."

"We love you both and Janet." Judee said, somewhat tearfully.

"We love you too." The boys said at the same time.

* * *

"Janet we're home." Max called running into the house followed by Eddie and the only one who came out to greet them was Jasper. "Hi Jasper. Hiya boy." Max said happily. He loved that dog. Eddie put the grocery bags and the bag from the video store down on the kitchen counter and then went to their bedroom and found Janet sleeping in bed. He shut the door behind him before Max could wake her up.

"Janet is taking a nap. Put your stuff in your room and then we can check out the video games we rented."

Janet's nap didn't last long. She was woken back up forty minutes after she fell asleep with the urge to throw up. Since there was nothing left in her stomach to come back up, she was experiencing dry heaves. When her heaving subsided, she made her way out to the living room with the bathroom trash can in hand.

"Hi Janet. Are you still sick?" Max asked when he saw his beloved sister.

"Yeah buddy, I am." But that didn't stop her from giving him a hug and kiss. "How are you?"

"I'm great. Me and Eddie got some video games and I am kicking his butt. I have won every game." Janet glanced over at Eddie who sent her a wink.

"Eddie isn't very good at video games. Maybe you can teach him a thing or two." She made her way over to the couch and stretched out with her feet resting on Eddie's lap.

"How are you feeling babe?" She made a face. "That good huh? I bought crackers and ginger ale; do you want to give them a try?"

"Sure. I am hungry."

"Pause the game Max." Eddie lifted Janet's feet up and went to the kitchen.

"I don't understand Janet; how can the baby make you sick?"

"I don't know Max. It's just how it is sometimes."

"Oh." Janet's answer seemed to suffice him. "You don't look like you have a baby inside of your belly. Are you sure there is a baby in your belly?"

"I'm sure that there is a baby in my belly. It's just really, really tiny and no one can tell that's there but believe me, every time I throw up I know that the baby is there."

"How tiny is it?"

"According to the books I have read, it's about this big." She showed him the tiny size of her baby with her hand.

"Wow. That's really small."

"Yes it is and it's going to grow really fast."

"Here honey." Eddie returned to the living room with a few crackers on a plate and a glass of ginger ale.

"Thanks babe." Eddie reclaimed his seat and replaced her feet on his lap.

The few crackers that Janet ate and the little bit of ginger ale that she drank quickly came back up and she knew that she wouldn't be eating anytime soon. She curled upon the couch, drifted in and out, watched the boys play their video games, and watched a movie Eddie rented for the three of them. When they got hungry Eddie ordered pizza and as soon as Janet smelled it she was dry heaving again so she spent the rest of the night in their room, catching up on some Lifetime movies.

* * *

"Here honey, try this." Eddie had woken up the next morning to Janet dry heaving in their bathroom again. He had made her some hot tea in hopes that it would help calm her stomach down but like everything else, it came right back up.

"I'm so hungry." She was crying. She hadn't been able to eat anything in almost two days and was miserable.

"That's it. I don't care how much you argue with me. I am taking to the hospital."

"Okay." She mumbled and Eddie knew she was really sick. Throughout the evening he gave her Gatorade, crackers, tea, dry toast; anything he could think of to help her and nothing stayed down. He begged her to let him take her to the hospital but she refused, insisting she would feel better in the morning.

"I'm going to wake Max up."

"Can you help me get dressed?" She was so weak she was having trouble moving around.

"Of course." Eddie pulled her up, wrapped an arm around her waist, led her to their bed and sat her down.

"I tried to deal with this." She cried. "I didn't want to complain because as long as I am sick the baby…the baby is fine but I just feel so horrible." Eddie sat next to her and laid her head on his chest.

"You are sick you have every right to complain." He attempted to sooth as he ran his fingers through her curls. "We're going to the hospital and get you feeling better."

"I'm sorry I am crying."

"Don't be sorry." He kissed her head.

"What's wrong? Why are you crying Janet?" A sleepy Max had wondered into their bedroom.

"She doesn't feel good." Eddie explained.

"I cry too when I get sick." He told her.

"I am taking her to the hospital. Do you want to come with us or stay home and hang out with Jasper?"

"I want to come."

"We may there for a long time."

"I promise that I will be good Eddie."

"Go get dressed, grab something to eat and make sure you have something to do like your IPod and shut the door on your way out." Max did as he was asked. "Now let's get you dressed and get you to the hospital so they can get you better."

"Promise? She asked tearfully.

"I promise."

Four hours later, Janet was feeling much better. She was immediately diagnosed as being dehydrated. She was given a shot of a medication to stop the nausea and vomiting and fluids and within the hour there was major improvement. During the next three hours, she continued with the fluids and foods that were easy on her stomach and when it was time to go home, she almost back to normal.

"Hey sleepy head." Janet opened her eyes and stretched her arms over her head at the sound of Eddie's voice. The medicine she was give for her nausea and vomiting made her very tired.

"Hi." She smiled at him for the first time in two days.

"How are you feeling?"

"Wonderful; tired and hungry. Is that soup I smell?"

"Yep." Janet sat up in bed and Eddie placed a tray over her lap.

"Did you make this?"

"Are you kidding me? Max and I ran out to deli and I picked up some fresh chicken soup and orange juice for you."

"You are the best." Janet took a bite of the soup. "Hmmm. This hits the spot. Thank you." She lifted her face for a kiss; a request he willingly replied to. He kissed her softly on the lips. "Thank you for taking such good care of me."

"Any time but promise me something."

"Anything."

"If you get sick again, any type of sick please don't wait so long to tell me."

"I promise."

"Since Max was so good at the emergency room I told him we would go out for ice cream."

"Mmmm. Ice cream."

"Would you like me to bring you some ice cream back?" She nodded. "Chocolate fudge brownie?"

"Actually, I want butter pecan with butterscotch syrup."

"You always eat chocolate."

"I guess the baby doesn't want chocolate."

"What baby wants, baby gets." Eddie told her with a grin and a kiss.

* * *

"Happy Anniversary." Eddie was standing in their bedroom, holding a bouquet of lilies when Janet came out after her shower.

"They are gorgeous." She took them out of hands and then kissed him gratefully. "I love them."

"I know it."

"I thought we agreed to no gifts." They decided instead of spending money on each other, they would spend it on the baby. Their gift to each other was spending the day together. They had slept in, woke up and made love. Soon they were going to Janet's ultrasound appointment and then since it was rare beautiful March day, they planned a picnic at the lake.

"It's not a gift. It's a show of my love."

"I love you too." Eddie leaned down and kissed her long and hard. "Happy Anniversary." She whispered softly when they broke apart.

* * *

"Good afternoon. I am Kate, your ultrasound technician."

"Hi." Eddie and Janet replied in unison.

"Could you please tell me your full name and birth date?"

"Sure but I am not sure why. Edward Andrew Latekka and my birthday…" Janet hit him on the arm.

"Not you. Me." She did as requested.

"Great. Now that I know I have the right mom to be in here let's get started. This is just your routine twenty week ultrasound. Your physician doesn't have any concerns so we are just taking a look at your baby, making sure it has all of appropriate pieces and parts and make sure it's growing on schedule. Do you want to know the sex if it's visible?"

"We do." Eddie answered. They had decided to find out what they were having so they could be as prepared as possible.

"Go ahead and lay back on the table Mrs. Latekka." Eddie helped Janet lay down. "Now I am going to need you to lift your shirt up under your breasts." Again, Eddie was more than willing to help out. "Now, I am going to place a cold gel on your belly and take a look. Mr. Latekka, you can have a seat next to your wife." Eddie sat down and took Janet's hand, nervously.

Kate fired the machine up and a minute later Eddie and Janet saw the first images of their baby; heartbeat, face, fingers, toes and they even saw a yawn. They were in complete awe over the image; their baby and as far as they could see it was perfect. They were just needed Kate to tell them that.

"Can you tell what it is?" Eddie asked anxiously.

"I sure can. Get ready dad. You are having a girl."

"A girl?" He whispered in shock. He had convinced himself that it was a boy. "Are you sure?"

"No doubt about it." She froze the screen and pointed. "A girl."

Janet stared at the screen mesmerized. "Our daughter." She said tearfully.

* * *

"That was delicious." Eddie exclaimed, collapsing onto his back. "I am so stuffed." Janet had packed them a simple picnic; cold fried chicken and potato chips.

"Of course you are. How many pieces of chicken did you eat?"

"Too many." He groaned. "Come down here with me." He grabbed her hand and yanked her down to the ground with him. Her head landed on his chest. "There. Much better." She adjusted her head, wrapped an arm around his waist and linked their fingers together.

"This is perfect."

"Absolutely."

"I don't think that I will ever get tired of holding your hand. Mine fits perfectly inside yours; our hands were meant to be together." She told him with a giggle.

"Your hands are so soft. I love the way they feel against my skin."

"Well in that case…" She pulled her hand out of his and slid it under his shirt, dragging her fingernails across his muscular chest, a move that always sent goose bumps all over his body. He groaned in delight.

"Now that's what I'm talking about."

"One year ago today, we got married."

"It's been a hell of a year."

"Our whole relationship has been an uphill battle and this year has been one of the hardest. There has been so much hurt."

"You are right but look how far we have come."

"Eddie, I thought I was going to lose you. After I was raped we pulled away from each other and you started drinking, I was so scared you were going to divorce me…" Eddie felt a tear fall onto his chest. "We could have easily have lost each other but we fought against the odds and stayed together."

"And we are stronger."

"I learned something very important."

"What's that baby?"

"We are so much stronger together than apart. We dealt with my rape alone and in different ways and fell apart in the process. When we decided to deal with it together, we grew stronger and dealt with it." She lifted her head and looked into his brown eyes. "I don't want to ever be alone again." Eddie pushed himself up to a sitting position and cupped her face.

"Never, will you be alone my sweet Janet." He leaned forward and he kissed her. "I learned a lot over this past year too but mainly, without you, I am a hot mess. You keep me grounded. I can't live without you. This first year was hell so the way I figure it, is that things can only get better."

"I love you, so, so much." She whispered tearfully. "I can't wait to see what our future together and with our little girl brings us."

"I love you too; more than you will ever know." Still with his hands on her face, he leaned forward to kiss her again, this time pushing them both back onto the blanket where they spent the next fifteen minutes kissing.

"Hmmm. This is perfect; the day, the picnic, the kisses, you." Janet mumbled through swollen lips as Eddie placed kisses on her neck.

"You are perfect." He pushed her shirt up and placed a hand on her growing belly. "And this is perfect; our little girl is perfect." He began to place kisses on their growing child.

"Just like her daddy." She felt his grin against her stomach.

"No. She is going to be just like her mommy; blue eyes, curls and absolutely beautiful."

"Are you sure that's your wish?"

"It's not a wish. It's a fact. How can she not be beautiful when you are her mother?"

"You are so sweet." Janet began to run her fingers through his hair." But you know what a beautiful girl means." Eddie groaned.

"Boys lots of boys."

"Yep."

"All right kiddo. Time for our first daddy daughter talk. We might as well get this out there right now. You will not date any boys until you are thirty and as your father, I have a right to change your dating age at any time which I most likely will so you could probably count on forty. Do we understand each other?" He heard Janet giggle. "What?"

"She kicked."

"I didn't feel it."

"Maybe she's not big enough."

"Was it a good kick or a bad kick?"

"If she is anything like me, it was a bad kick. I think that she doesn't agree with her dating age."

"Well it's already been decided."

"And I am sure she will agree with it." She told him sarcastically.

"I am going to have my hands full huh?"

"Full because she will have you wrapped around her finger."

"Just like her mom." Eddie sat up and pulled the cooler over. He reached in and pulled out a bottle of sparkling grape juice along with the glasses. "Hold these." He handed her the glasses.

"Yes sir."

"Since we have to toast our anniversary I have brought the best drink for us since you can't drink and I am not drinking." He held up the bottle.

"Of course you did." He finished pouring, took his glass and held it up.

"To my lovely, beautiful, amazing wife. Happy Anniversary."

"Here is to many, many, many more."


	51. Chapter 51

"Hey babe." Eddie sat on the side of the bed, gently shaking Janet awake. "Time to wake up." She rolled over and opened her eyes. "Morning gorgeous."

"Morning." He leaned down and kissed her softly.

"How did you sleep?"

"On and off." Janet was now seven months pregnant and was more tired than she usually was mainly because their daughter kept her up a lot at night moving around.

"Was she kicking?"

"Oh yeah."

"Coffee is on and I have to run." He leaned down and kissed her belly. "Bye little one. Be good for mom." She kicked and Eddie laughed.

"Great. You woke her up." Janet grumbled with a smile.

"Sorry."

"No you're not."

"No I'm not." With a grin, he kissed her again. "Have a good day and I will call you later."

"Love you."

"Love you too." After one more kiss, he went to leave but before he was out of the bedroom, he turned around once more and saw that Janet had rolled back over. "Don't go back to sleep." He warned.

"I won't." He laughed and left for work.

Ten minutes later, he was in his parent's driveway waiting for Max to come out. It usually took a few minutes for Max to come out because he was never on time. In fact some times, he even had time to have a cup of coffee with his mom. This morning, after waiting for about five minutes without any movement from inside the house, he shut off the truck and went inside to hurry his brother up.

"Hello? Mom? Max?" Eddie called softly, walking into the house. He finally found his mom sitting curled up on the steps. "Mom, what's going on?" She looked up at him with red, swollen eyes. "What's wrong?"

"He wouldn't wake up."

"Who wouldn't wake up?"

"Max. I went to wake him up and he wouldn't."

"He's probably just messing with you." He told her, heading up the steps to Max's room.

"He's not." Judee whispered as Eddie walked past her.

Eddie opened the door to his brother's room and found him on the bed. "Max. Come on buddy. Wake up." No movement. "Come on Max. Quit playing and get up." Again, no movement so he reached out and when he touched his brother, he was shocked at how cold he was. "Max…please…" Eddie knew his mother was right. His brother was gone.

* * *

"Come on Jasper. Time to come in. Mommy has to go to work." Janet called to the dog. As usual, Jasper responded immediately and came right inside the house but instead of stopping for his morning treat, he ran right past her into the living room and began to bark. Curious, Janet followed Jasper and was surprised when Eddie walked in. "What did you forget?" She asked as he bent down to pet Jasper, avoiding her eyes which meant something was wrong. "Look at me Eddie." When he did, his eyes were red and swollen. "Honey…" He took her hand and led her to the couch.

"Janet…" He began as his eyes filled with tears.

"What happened?" She whispered over the lump in her throat.

"Max…" He managed to get out before breaking apart and Janet instantly knew what could cause the heartbreak Eddie was showing.

"No." She managed to get out.

"He…wouldn't wake…up this…morning…I…joke…cold…so cold." He sobbed. Janet her crying, heartbroken husband into her arms as her own tears began to fall.

* * *

"And now, Max's brother Eddie would like to say a few words." Eddie squeezed Janet's hand and made his way to the front of the funeral home.

"On Monday I experienced the worst loss of my life when my amazing, wonderful, fun, lovable and devoted brother Max left this earth. We were told that he had a fatal heart attack and sadly, it didn't surprise any of us. Max has had a bad heart since he was born and over the years it has slowly gotten worse and we were told that a heart attack could happen at any time and it did on Monday but even knowing that, it doesn't make losing him any easier." Eddie took a deep breath and wiped a solitary tear away that fell from his eye. "I spent hours trying to figure out what I could tell you about Max and in the end, I had pages and pages of fun stories involving most of you in this room and I realized that as much fun as those stories are that's not what I need to or want to say. What needs to be said is I was lucky and honored to have Max for my brother. I couldn't have asked for a better brother."

"There are two main things that Max taught me that I want to share with you. The first of which is joy. Everything that Max experienced, he experienced it with pure joy and it didn't matter what it was; a simple game of checkers or a trip to Disney World; it didn't matter; everything he did or saw was done so with pure joy. It was the kind of joy a child experienced. A couple of years ago Janet and I took him to a Sox game for his birthday and had his name put his name with a birthday wish on the jumbo-tron and he was so excited when his name popped up that you would have thought that he won the lottery and next year, when we did it again his reaction was the same. It was priceless. Every baseball card I gave him, regardless if he already had two or three of the same card he was thrilled. Max taught me that I need to try and experience every bit of joy and happiness out of life that I can because obviously, life is short so we need as much happiness in it while we still can experience it."

"The second and most important thing Max showed me more than taught me was how to love. Sure, I knew how to love; I love my parents, my friends, my brother and my wife but compared to my brother, who loved all of the same people…wow. I had nothing on that kid. Everyone who was lucky enough to be loved by Max, knows exactly what I am talking about. When Max loved you he become utterly devoted to you and nothing you did would change that; believe me I know. When I was younger and dumber, like any teenager and young adult, hanging out with my kid brother wasn't the coolest thing to do and for years, I only hung out with him when mom threatened me but to him it didn't matter. He still loved me unconditionally and fiercely regardless of if he saw me once a month or once a week and he never held my stupidity against me; he simply loved me and because of him; because he showed me how it should be done, I can now love like he did. Thank you Max."

"One day at work, Max was sweeping up a broken window with a huge grin on his face. I asked him what he was smiling about and he told me he was smiling because he loved his job. When I asked him why he loved his job he answered because it made him feel important. I explained that he didn't need a job to be important but I am not sure he believed me. I just hope that he realized how very important he was to all of us." Eddie looked up at the ceiling. "I love you Max." He whispered.

* * *

"I want you to have this." Judee handed Eddie Max's baseball card album; one of Max's few treasured belongings. Mitch, Judee, Eddie and Janet were gathered at Eddie's childhood home after Max's wake had ended.

"You should keep it mom." Eddie told her softly.

"Max would want you to have it." She placed the album on his lap. "All of the cards; it was your and your brothers' special thing. He would want you to have it."

"Thanks." Eddie whispered. He opened the album and tears sprung to eyes when he saw the pictures Max had taped to the inside cover; there was a picture of him, Janet and Max at Fenway Park the previous year for his birthday and there was a picture of the two brothers taken at the 4th of July baseball game when Max got his one and only hit.

"Janet, this is for you." Mitch placed a seashell in her hand.

"It's beautiful." Janet told her.

"Max found this seashell the day of your wedding when he was exploring the beach before the ceremony. As you can see, it's in perfect shape and he kept it because it's pink, your favorite color and he said it will remind him how beautiful you looked."

"I'll treasure it always." She said, running her hands over the smooth, beautiful shell.

"And this is a gift for the baby from Max." Judee was holding a gift that was wrapped in pure Max style. "The day after Christmas, he insisted on going out and buying a present for his niece or nephew. " Judee smiled through her tears. "You know that boy, once something gets in his head, he can't let it go until the task is completed so we braved the return crowds and he bought this with his own money." Slowly, Janet reached out and took the gift. "I know that your shower is in a couple of weeks but I wanted to give it to you without a crowd of people watching."

"Do you want to open it?" Janet asked her husband.

"Sure." She handed it over and he slowly pulled the wrapping paper off to reveal a teddy bear; a girl bear they assumed because it was wearing a tutu.

"We went to Build –A-Bear and he made the bear all by himself with no input from me."

"But we didn't know she was a girl then." Eddie stated handing the bear to Janet.

"Lucky guess." Mitch answered with a small smile.

"I know that she'll love it." Janet said.

An hour later Eddie and Janet were home, sharing a bath. They had left shortly after Judee gave them what Max wanted them to have. It had been a long physically and mentally challenging week and everyone was exhausted. Before going to bed, the two decided to relax in the tub.

"Did you feel that?" Janet asked. Eddie had been running his hand over her pregnant belly when the baby kicked.

"How could I not? What's it feel like from your end?"

"It's hard to explain. It's liked getting kicked softly on the outside but it's a little stronger on the inside." Eddie didn't respond and his hand had grown still on her stomach. "Baby, are you still awake?"

"I can't stop thinking; our little girl is never going to know her Uncle Max." Janet turned awkwardly in the tub to face him.

"She will because we are going to tell her all about him."

"Promise?" He asked softly

"I promise. Our daughter will know all about her Uncle Max." Eddie nodded, biting his lip to keep his tears from falling.

"The water's getting cold. We should probably get out." The water wasn't that cold, but she went along with it. She sat forward and he climbed out of the tub. Once the towel was wrapped securely around his waist, he reached in and helped Janet to her feet since exiting a bathtub while seven months pregnant wasn't the easiest thing in the world for her. He helped her into her robe and then suddenly he hugged her tightly and before he released her so he could dress, he kissed her gently on top of her head.

By the time Janet had rinsed out the tub and went to the bedroom to put on her pajamas on, Eddie was nowhere to be seen but she knew where she would find him. After packing his lunch and letting Jasper out, she went to Max's bedroom where she found Eddie sitting on the bed holding their daughter's teddy bear that hadn't found its way to the crib yet. She went, in and sat on his lap, wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her forehead against his.

"Do you think he knew Janet?" Eddie asked tearfully.

"Knew what babe?"

"Did he know how important he was…to all of us?"

"I hope he did but one thing I know for sure is Max knew how very much he was loved by all of us and in the end, I think that was what is important."

"I really did love that kid."

"I know that and so did he."

"I miss him…so much."

"So do I. We all do." Janet gently kissed his tears away.

Eddie and Janet spent the next two months healing from their loss and preparing for their little girl, a mixture and sadness and happiness was their constant companion. Janet was so proud of Eddie. She knew that he wanted his old constant companion of liquid comfort but he stayed far away from alcohol and instead of drinking, he talked with Janet about his feelings and she did the same, which contributed to the healing process.

Janet's baby shower occurred three weeks after Max's death and for the first time, in three weeks, she was really smiling again. Her shower was perfect, everything she had ever dreamed it would be, with the exception of Max. The small banquet room at The Johnson Inn was filled with their friends and family and their daughter got everything she could possibly need and more. It took them a week to put everything away.

Once everything was put away the only thing that was left to do was wait for Baby Girl Latekka to make her entrance into the world. Janet had hers and the baby's bag packed two weeks before her due date. She was ready by that point but the baby had other plans. Her due date came and went; no baby. One week after her due date there was still no baby. At her one week post due date visit, her doctor told her that they would schedule an induction at the two week mark if she still hadn't delivered. She was relieved to know that the baby would finally be born but those seven days were miserable for her; in her opinion, she was huge, swollen and her back was constantly hurting. She could not wait for this baby to be born.

* * *

"Excuse me, Mr. Newman?" Janet stood her in boss' doorway. He looked up from his desk.

"What's wrong Janet?" He could tell by her face, she wasn't doing too well.

"If it's okay with you, I think I would like to start my maternity leave now." Janet's back pain had woken her up around three that morning and has steadily gotten worse to the point sitting in her chair at her desk was uncomfortable.

"Of course you can. I told you to start it a couple of weeks ago."

"Thanks. My desk is clean and there is nothing outstanding." She told her boss with a grimace.

"Should I call your husband?"

"No that's not necessary. " She assured him. "I am just having some back pain and spasms. I didn't sleep well last night and I am hoping to go home, take some Tylenol and try to get some rest hopefully feel better when I wake up."

"If you are sure?" Janet nodded. Mr. Newman came around the desk and gave her a hug. "Good luck and make sure you let us know when your little one is born."

"I will." She answered, returning his hug.

After saying her goodbyes to the staff, she finally left for six weeks. On the way home, she called Eddie and left him a voicemail that she wasn't feeling well and was on her way home for a nap. Once she got home she realized when she walked into the bedroom, that when she had taken on the sheets to wash them, she didn't replace them on the bed. She was in too much pain to even considering remaking the bed so she settled for the next best thing; Max's bed until Eddie got home and then he could remake their bed.

She was in bed for around an hour, when the pain in her back pain suddenly got worse and radiated to her stomach and that's when she realized that the pain she had been experiencing in her back, was actually labor. She was in labor and probably had been for hours. She went for her phone and found it wasn't on the night stand. She had left it in her purse which was in the living room. She tried to get up out of bed to go get her phone but the pain was too intense; she couldn't stand. She lay back down and was considering her options through the pain when her water broke. She knew she had to get to a phone but the pain wasn't stopping so she did the only thing she could; she rolled onto her side, cradled her belly and waited for Eddie to come home or the pain to subside, whichever came first.

* * *

"No baby yet?" Nick asked walking into the office at the end of the day. He had been going out to the sites while Eddie stayed close to the office in case he needed to bolt when Janet went into labor.

"Nope. Not yet. Janet called me a couple hours ago. Her back was hurting pretty bad so she left work early to get some rest and I haven't heard anything else so unless anything happens between now and Friday morning, she will be induced."

"Kind of weird huh, knowing the exact day your daughter will be born. It's not the same as a due date. With a due date it's still a guess when the baby will be born but with inducing you now that your daughter will be born on Friday."

"It's crazy and you are right. For sure, I am actually going to be a dad on Friday. I can't wait."

"You're already a father my friend."

"True, but I don't get to do anything; it's all Janet now."

"Enjoy while you can, because once she gets here it's not going to be all Janet anymore."

"I know and I can't wait." With a grin, Eddie closed his computer down. "I'm going to head on home. Janet needs some tender loving care and I am just the man to provide it."

"Please, save me the details."Nick said with a grin.

"Catch ya later." On his way home, he stopped at the store and picked up some of Janet's favorite comfort food; chocolate and peanut butter ice cream along with some cheese puffs hoping that it may make her feel a little better mentally.

"Dude, what's going on?" Eddie was surprised when he walked into the house that Jasper, their normally easy going dog was standing next to the door whining and barking. "Do you need to go outside?" He walked into the kitchen to put the ice cream away and expected Jasper to follow but he didn't. "Jasper, come on boy." He called from the kitchen but the dog didn't move; just barked. "Knock it off Jasper and come here." Another bark mixed with a growl. "Seriously, what is your problem?" He walked into the living room and Jasper took off towards the bedrooms. When Eddie didn't follow he began to bark. Curiously, Eddie followed Jasper who ended up in Max's bedroom and from the hallway he heard more barking. He walked towards the better and that's when he heard crying. With a bad feeling he pushed open the cracked door and saw his wife, lying on the bed, crying, sweating with a terrified look on her face.

"Eddie." She cried as he rushed over to her.

"What's wrong?"

"The baby…she is coming."

"We need to get you to the hospital."

"No time. She is coming…now."

"You don't know that."

"Yes I do. I need to push."

"No. Don't do that."

"I can feel her head; she is coming out."

"Should I…check?"

"Well I very well can't do it." She groaned in pain.

"Oh man. I…" He mumbled. "What do I do?"

"Take my underwear off and look."

"Look for what?"

"A head Eddie." She was snapping at him; she couldn't help it. "What do you think you would be looking for?"

"Of course." He was so flustered he didn't even realize Janet was snapping at him. "Lift up honey." He pushed her nightgown up over her hips and then pulled her underwear off. "Sorry." He told her when she cried out.

"It's not you. Please Eddie, hurry. She is coming." Eddie took at glance.

"Holy crap. I see it. I see her head. What do I do? Boil water. The television always says to boil water."

"For crying out loud Eddie. We aren't living in the Little House On The Parrie days. You don't need to boil water."

"Janet, I don't know what to do." She took a deep breath and tried to breathe through her contraction.

"Get some towels. Go to the baby's room and grab a blanket and the suction bulb." She instructed calmly.

"Suction bulb? What in the hell is a suction bulb?"

"The snot sucker. The blue snot sucker."

"Right."

"And call 911." Eddie ran out of the room, grabbed what Janet told him to and returned to Max's room in less than a minute.

"Okay. Now what."

"Call. Nine. One. One." She yelled.

"I can do that." He pulled his phone out of his pocket and dropped it because his hands were shaking so bad. He picked it up and did the same thing.

"Eddie…"

"Sorry." Third time was the charm. With the phone securely in his hand he made the call.

"911. What is your emergency?"

"My wife. She is having a baby."

"She is in labor?"

"No. The baby, she is coming now. I can see her head."

"What is your address sir?"

"2068 Emerson Rd." He saw Janet begin to push. "She's pushing."

"Okay sir. I need you to relax. Can you do that?"

"My baby is coming."

"Sir, I need you to relax."

"Okay. I'm good."

"It sounds like you are going to have to deliver your baby. I am going to walk you through what to do. You are going to need both hands so put the phone on speaker and set the phone down." Eddie did as the operator instructed.

"I'm ready."

"Okay, tell your wife to push."

"I can hear you." She snapped.

"Then why aren't you pushing?" Eddie countered. With a glare at him, Janet bore down and pushed and after three more pushes, their daughter had entered the world.

"She's not crying." Eddie yelled in a panic.

"You need to clean out her nose and mouth and then she will cry."

"The suction ball Eddie." An exhausted Janet told him.

"Yeah right. I forgot about that." He grabbed the suction bulb and cleaned her out and then waited anxiously for her to cry. "Janet…what if I did something wrong?" Before she could answer their daughter was wailing. "She's crying. She's okay." He yelled over her cries.

"Eddie can I see her?" Janet asked.

"Yes. Of course." He gently placed the baby on Janet's chest.

"Hi my little girl." Janet said to her daughter. "You are finally here."

"Hello? Paramedics here."

"Back here." Eddie called as he grabbed his phone and thanked the operator for all of his help. He knew he couldn't have done it without him. A few seconds later two men entered the bedroom.

"Looks like we are a little late."

"I did it." Eddie told them proudly.

"I can see that." The younger of the two men, walked over to Janet. "And how are you doing ma'am?"

"Wonderful."

"We need to cut the cord and then I would like to do a quick examine of the baby." He explained.

"Dad, would you like to cut the cord?" Eddie was asked.

"Yes I would."

Fifteen minutes later, Janet and baby were loaded on the stretcher on the way to the hospital. Eddie followed them to the ambulance. "I'll be right behind you." He told after kissing her and the baby.

"Make sure you clean up the room first." The paramedics laughed but Eddie knew she was dead serious. "And yourself."

"I will."

"But hurry."

"I will. I love you…both."

"We love you more."

He arrived at the hospital about forty five minutes later. He threw the all the bedding, towels and his clothes into the washing machine. He knew that that there was no hope of ever using them again but he didn't want to throw a bag of bloody items out in trash. He moved the mattress out into the garage until he could dispose of it and then finally showered. Before leaving he switched the laundry and fed the dog. Janet would be so proud. And his drive to the hospital was spent on the phone alerting family and friends about the birth and his role in it.

"Hey." Janet greeted when Eddie walked through the door to her hospital room.

"Hey girls." His eyes fell to the bundle in her arms.

"She's been waiting for her daddy." He walked over and took her from her mother and then made himself comfortable in the chair next to her bed.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"I'm perfect. I should be able to go home tomorrow .When delivering my placenta the doctor told me how impressed he was with you. Maybe you should change careers." She joked.

"No way. Once was enough for me." He looked at his daughter. "Is she good?"

"She is perfect too. Seven pounds three ounces and nineteen inches long. Isn't she beautiful?"

"She really is which is good because I have to admit, I was worried when she was born covered with all of your insides." Eddie shivered in mock disgust and Janet smiled.

"You are awful."

"I'm kidding and she knows it. I thought she was beautiful the instant she was born and she is half of you so how could she not be beautiful?"

"Baby, I am so sorry that I was really mean to you."

"You couldn't help it. Delivering a baby is an automatic pass to be mean and speaking of delivering a baby, everyone told us that you would be in labor for hours with the first baby. How come she came so fast?"

"I was in labor for hours. The back pain that woke me up last night was the beginning. I asked the doctor and he said most woman have belly labor or a portion of both. I was primarily back labor until the very end. It didn't click with me until my water broke and the pain was so bad, I couldn't move. By the time you got home, the labor was constant because she was on her way."

"Does this mean that you are going to be a difficult child little missy?" Eddie asked his sleeping daughter.

"I have another idea for her name." Janet said and Eddie sighed. It took them forever to finally agree on a name that they both liked which was Kayla Rose. Rose was Grams and Lillian's middle name and Janet wanted the baby to have her grandmother's name but not Edith.

"Babe…"

"Just hear me out okay?" He nodded. "I want to name her after Max. I delivered her in his room; on his bed and I think it would be a wonderful way to honor him."

"I love that idea but Janet, she is a girl."

" Maxie. I want to name her Maxie with an i e Rose. I think that it's pretty feminine." Eddie thought about it for a couple of minutes.

"What do you think sweetheart?" He asked the baby. "Shall we call you Maxie Rose after your Uncle Max?" At that moment she opened her eyes and looked at him. "You like it huh? Well I guess Maxie it is." Eddie reached out and took Janet's hand. "Its perfect honey; just perfect."

"Max would love it."

"Yes he would." Holding onto Maxie tightly, he and Janet leaned towards each other and shared a slow, soft kiss.


End file.
